


Lost Memories

by natsuki5381



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Did I Mention Family Fluff, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Magic, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Other, Some Bow and Glimmer, Some Catradora, Why Must Kids Be So Stubborn, missing child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 46,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25574242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natsuki5381/pseuds/natsuki5381
Summary: This story takes place not long after the Heart of Etheria is destroyed. Adora and the gang were able to rescue Angella and bring her home. Glimmer happily let her be Queen again, so Angella rules once more. This is an AU where it was not Micah they saw when the portal went off and another reality was created. Instead, they saw Angella's youngest daughter, Rose.Rose was six years old when she was kidnapped during an attack on Bright Moon, Glimmer being eleven at the time. For two years people searched for her, but when everyone came up empty-handed, Glimmer and Angella assumed she was dead. In the present day, Glimmer believes Rose is alive because she was seen in the alternate reality, so she and the gang decide to go look for her. Angella wants to believe, too, but she is also scared. Losing Rose deeply hurt her.Will Rose return? If she does, will she accept that she does indeed have a family who loves her? Will she accept that she has a place to belong? Will she accept that she's actually a princess? Or will she turn all of it away?
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter One: Mission

Chapter One: Mission

“I know she’s alive.”

Queen Angella sat on her throne, her head resting in the palm of her hand. In front of her stood Glimmer, Catra, Adora, and Bow. It was her daughter that was speaking. She wasn’t so much angry at the argument that they were having as Glimmer hadn’t done anything wrong, but it was what the girl was suggesting that struck a nerve.

“I’m serious, mom. Think about it. When our reality got shifted, you saw her. We both did.”

“That reality wasn’t real,” Angella told her calmly, her heart clenching just a bit. “None of it was.”

“Maybe the actual reality wasn’t real, but the people inside of it were!”

“Glimmer’s right,” Bow added. “Everyone who was stuck in that alternate reality saw only those who were already alive.”

“Can you be sure about that?” Angella's question came out a little sharper than she had intended, but she couldn't help it. That whole previous event had done a number on her. “Can you all honestly stand there and tell me that everyone on Etheria could only see people who were currently living?”

“Yes, we believe so.”

It was Adora who answered.

“Your majesty, we’ve traveled to the other kingdoms and have spoken to the princesses. They can recall the memories from that event, and each confirmed that the only people they met were those who were alive. No, they’re not all of Etheria, but you have to remember that each princess has suffered a great loss. A perfect reality for them would have included those who weren’t around anymore, but it didn’t. None of them saw anyone who had died.”

Angella was quiet at this. Logically, it all made sense, and if they were right, then it would mean that her second child was still living. Yet there was a part of her that feared to believe. It had been five years since her youngest had been kidnapped, and after two years of empty handed searches, Angella had come to terms with the fact that her child had passed. It was incredibly hard on her, and while this current news sparked a slight hope, she didn’t want to put her whole heart into believing only for it to break again.

“I don’t know.”

“Ugh! Mom! Come on!”

“You should believe Sparkles over here.” Catra stood beside Adora, her arms crossed over her chest. “She may be a little crazy but she’s not wrong. If both of you saw her in that reality, then she’s still alive somewhere."

“Mom.”

Glimmer walked up the stairs to face her. She then felt her daughter slip her hands into her own, a comforting smile on her face.

“I know this is hard for you. It’s hard for me, too, but you have to believe me. She’s still out there, which means we need to start looking again.”

Angella rubbed her thumb gently over Glimmer’s hand.

“Where would you even start this search?”

“At the last known sighting of the ship she was on,” Glimmer answered.

“The Frightening Wilds?” Angella’s gaze hardened a bit. “Those woods are dangerous. Not to mention they have been searched already. There was no sign of her.”

“We want to look again,” Adora told her. “Maybe something was missed.”

“Danger isn’t an issue either,” Catra added. “I mean, our world was almost destroyed and we all survived that. This mission will be child’s play.”

“It will not,” Angella said a little angrily. “Those woods harbor dangerous creatures. They should not be taken lightly.

“And we won’t!” Bow hopped in front of Catra with a meek little laugh. “We’ll be super careful, and we won’t purposely do anything that will get us hurt either.”

“Remember this, too mom. Even with you back, I don’t need to charge my powers anymore, and I’m better at magic! Plus, we have She Ra. We’ll be more than okay.”

Angella still felt a little bit hesitant with worry, not only for the daughter she had lost, but for Glimmer and her friends as well. However, she had told herself once before that she wasn’t going to let fear get the better of her. She didn’t want to be a coward anymore. Since she herself had to remain in Bright Moon to take care of a few things, then her best bet would be to let the four in front of her go. If it meant the possibility of bringing her youngest home, then she had to at least try, even at the risk of more heartache.

With a sigh, she stood up.

“Very well. I will allow this. Prepare tonight and leave tomorrow.”

“Yes!” Glimmer jumped and threw her fist in the air. “We’re gonna do it guys! We’re going on another mission!”

“Best friend’s squad is going out again!” Bow said as he wrapped each arm around Adora’s and Catra’s neck for a hug.

“This is not a game, Bow,” Angella said with a serious tone. “The Frightening Wilds are home to many dangerous things. Don’t be reckless on this trip.”

“We won’t, your majesty.” Adora smiled. “We’re just going to scout the area, and if we can’t find anything, we will regroup back here and come up with another plan.”

Angella nodded in approval.

“Come on guys!” Glimmer ran down the stairs excitedly. “Let’s go get ready.”

As the group left, Angella turned to look at the Moon Stone from where she stood, worry on her face. She remembered the day she lost her younger daughter well. Bright Moon had taken a small hit from that invasion, but her daughter being taken was the worst hit of them all. Every day she blamed herself for not being there to protect her.

“Mom?”

Angella turned to see Glimmer back beside her.

“I thought you were going to get ready?”

Glimmer smiled and wrapped her up in a hug. It was a little unexpected, but Angella warmly hugged her back. After having to leave her once and thinking she’d never see her Glimmer again, she’d both take and give all the affection she could.

“It’s going to be okay, mom. I know that day hurt both of us, but I have a good feeling about this. Believe me, I think we’re gonna find something.”

Angella nuzzled her face into Glimmer’s hair.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. We both saw your sister that day, and if your theory is correct, then she’s still out there. I’d be ecstatic if that were true. I’d love nothing more than to have both of my daughters at my side. However, I can’t help but feel guilty. If she's alive, then it means I gave up on her too soon.”

“No way, mom!” Glimmer pulled back a little. “We spent two whole years looking for her, and when we found nothing, it was understandable to believe she was dead. There’s hope again. We’re going to get her back mom, I promise.”

Angella smiled and kissed her daughter on the cheek.

“I’m so very lucky to have you. If you’d like, I can join you and your friends on your journey.”

Glimmer shook her head.

“Someone needs to stay here in Bright Moon. Don’t worry, me and my friends will take care of it.”

Angella nodded and cupped her cheek lovingly.

“Very well. Go get prepared then.”

Glimmer snuck in one more hug before taking off. Angella only allowed her smile to falter slightly once her daughter was out of sight. She did believe in Glimmer, but she couldn’t help but be scared. If her youngest was alive, where had she been all these years? Why was she so hard to find? Was she hurt? Did she think that she had been abandoned?

Angella turned to the Moon Stone once more, her heart heavy. She loved that little girl so much, and the pain of losing her was just as strong now as it was the day she was taken. All of her wishes of reuniting had been smashed when no one could find her, but Glimmer was right. There was hope again. It was small, but it was there, and even though the prospect of another dead end scared her, Angella knew she had to be strong and do her best to keep believing.

“Please let her be out there,” she whispered pleadingly. “Please let her come home.”


	2. The Hidden City

Chapter Two: The Hidden City

“I could have just transported us close by, you know.”

It was mid-July afternoon, and the gang all sat on large Skiff that Catra had taken from what was formerly known as the Fright Zone. Scorpia had recently been in the process of returning her kingdom to its former glory, so Catra had snagged it before it could be trashed. Glimmer didn’t think it was the greatest piece of equipment in the world, but it did the job.

“And miss out on the adventure of flying?” Catra asked as she controlled the machine. “I don’t think so, princess. I need some fly time. Come to think of it, I need some fight time, too. I hope I can blow something up.”

“We’re not here to blow anything up,” Adora told her. She ruffled her girlfriend’s hair playfully, prompting Catra to scowl and swipe in return.

“Don’t do that!” She shouted, a small blush on her cheeks. “Ugh, and whatever. I’m still wishing for some action. I haven’t been able to fight anyone in a long while. Anyways, what’s the name of this kid again?”

“Rose.”

Glimmer squeezed her staff tightly when she spoke the name, a jolt of pain shooting through her heart. It was Bow’s comforting shoulder squeeze that helped her relax.

“It’s Rose,” she said again. “She’d be eleven now.”

“What does she look like?” Adora asked.

“Well, like my mom really.” Glimmer smiled lightly as she remembered. “Same hair color, same eye color, and similar facial features, too. Even their skin color was the same. She looked even more like mom when I saw her in that reality. She had powers, too. While I can move my body through teleportation, she could move objects with her mind.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Adora replied.

“So basically look for a mini Queen Angella who can move things,” Catra said. “Got it. You think we’ll actually find her in that forest?”

“We probably won’t,” Bow answered. “We might find clues though. Maybe the guards overlooked something when they searched years ago. Look! We’re almost there!”

The group gazed over at the vast jungle like area ahead. It looked menacing and ominous from the outside, as if it weren’t welcoming their presence.

“Wow. Yeah, that’s a lot bigger than I thought.” Catra picked up speed, her eyes glaring skeptically. “Are you sure we’re going to be able to find anything in there?”

No one could answer.

As they got closer, Glimmer gulped. She had heard this place was huge, but she didn’t realize just how big it was. There was so much ground to cover, and only four of them. Would they be able to find anything in that mess? What if their search produced nothing at all?

“Glimmer?”

She turned to see Bow beside her as the ship came to a slow stop at the forests edge.

“Are you all right?”

Glimmer looked down and wrapped her hand around a small pendant hung on her neck. It was one of three pieces. She held one, her mother held one, and so did her little sister. When joined together, it made a star.

“I was just thinking,” she finally said. “I told mom that she’s out there somewhere, but what if we don’t end up finding her after all? What if there aren’t any clues here and we have to go back to square one? What if something has happened to her already? Not even the guards could find her back then.”

“Hey, hey, it’s gonna be okay.” Bow wrapped his girlfriend up in a hug.

“I was so confident when I told mom of the plan, and now I’m not so sure. My mind was so set on tearing out into the world to bring her back that I didn’t actually stop to think how long that might take. What if I fail?”

“You aren’t gonna fail,” Bow rubbed her back lovingly. “Not even a little.”

“You got that right,” Adora added. She reached out and squeezed Glimmer’s shoulder. “We won’t fail because we won’t give up until we bring her home.”

“I mean, if she’s anything like you, she’ll probably stick out like a sore thumb.”

This came from Catra, and Glimmer couldn’t help but smile at those words.

“Well, you’re not wrong there. I admit I was a little more excitable about things that she was, but she knew how to have fun, and we always had the best adventures together.”

“Yeah you did,” Bow said. “I remember the fun you guys used to have, and all of the trouble you used to cause, too. You two were so close, and you cared about each other a lot. She has the best big sister in the world out looking for her, and you’ve got your squad right behind you the whole way. So no matter what happens, we’ll find her for sure.”

Glimmer looked up at her friends with teary eyes, each of them smiling in turn.

“Thanks guys. I’m glad you came along.”

“Like we’d stay behind,” Catra said as she jumped off the ship. “I told you, I want to blow something up.”

Adora jumped down and tackle hugged her girl from behind.

“I told you we’re not here to blow anything up!”

“G-gah! Adora!”

Both Bow and Glimmer giggled at their friends, Bow jumping down next before holding out his hand.

“We’ll do this. Together. You ready?”

With renewed confidence, Glimmer took his hand.

“Let’s do this.”

* * *

“I’ve never seen trees this tall.”

Glimmer and her friends had been walking and looking around for a little over an hour. Bow was leading the way, using his track pad to keep them from getting lost. It was a good thing, too because the forest felt like a maze.

“Me either,” she replied to Adora, her eyes scanning the green canopy. She could see the sky from below, but just barely. “We don’t have trees this tall at home, not even in the Whispering Woods. Some of these plants are new to me, too. Like that one there.”

She pointed to a nearby bush that was decorated in orange and purple flowers. Each flower only had three petals, and the center of it looked like a cotton ball.

“Same with the creatures,” Adora added as she mindlessly swung her staff around. “Like that weird looking mouse like thing we saw when we first entered. Catra was all over that.”

“I was not!”

“Your eyes got real big,” Adora teased. “You even started following it.”

“It looked at me funny!” Catra was all sorts of red in the cheeks. “I was just going to teach it a lesson!”

“Sure, whatever you say darling.”

“It is whatever I say! And don’t call me darling!”

Glimmer could only shake her head at the conversation. Even though the two had been a couple for quite some time now, Catra still got all worked up from any teases and affection Adora threw her way.

“Anyways,” Catra continued. “I don’t get why they call this place the Frightening Wilds. There’s nothing frightening about anything here.”

“Well, you’re right about that,” Glimmer agreed. “I have to admit, when my mom told me this place was dangerous, I was expecting to be constantly attacked by creatures. I have yet to see anything scary. In fact, this place is pretty beautiful. Hey Bow, how far along do you think we are?”

“We’re almost to the center of the forest,” he replied while tapping his pad. “We’re not too far from it.”

“What are we going to do when we get there?” Catra asked. “Look around some more like we have been?”

“That’s all we can do,” Adora answered.

“Okay, that’s great and all, but what exactly are we looking for?”

“Clues that might help us find out about my sister,” Glimmer replied.

“Yeah, I got that memo, but what kinds of clues are we looking for?”

“W-well I don’t know!” She herself didn’t quite know what to keep watch for. She was just going to scan around and hopefully find something out of place. “Maybe something from the Horde ship she was trapped on, or maybe an item that belonged to her. We need anything that proves she might have been here. If we can locate some kind of proof, then maybe we can start tracing the events that happened after she was kidnapped.”

“I’m sure we’ll find something,” Bow told them. “Or maybe…”

His voice got ridiculously ominous.

“Maybe we’ll find the hidden city.”

“Wait, hidden city?” Adora asked with a cocked brow.

“Oh don’t start,” Glimmer groaned.

“Hidden city,” Bow said again. “They say that the forest is home to a place full of ancient powerful beings.”

“It’s just a myth.” Glimmer rubbed her temple out of annoyance. “There’s never been any proof that it exists.”

“That’s because it can only be seen by those who have been there,” Bow continued. “My dads say that you can only get in if a resident of the city brings you.”

“That’s actually kind of cool,” Adora said. “I want to see a hidden city.”

“Well you won’t,” Glimmer said again. “It doesn’t exist.”

“It could though!” Bow replied brightly, his eyes widening with excitement. “And if it did, then maybe we could find a way to get in and speak to those ancient beings. They might know something about Rose! Oh a hidden city, what a joy it would be to- “

“If you say hidden city one more time I’m gonna scream!”

“Well jeeze.”

Catra took a red berry she had found on the ground and shot it towards Glimmer, hitting her right in the forehead.

“Someone’s grumpy.”

“Ugh!!”

Glimmer angrily wiped the berry from her head. She then took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

“Look. We’re not here to look for some fake city. We’re here to- “

_Crack._

The group stopped in their tracks, Catra’s ears twitching from the sound.

“Did you guys hear that?”

They all stood silently for a few moments, but the sound never came back.

“Eh, probably some animal,” Adora shrugged. “Let’s keep going.”

The four proceeded to walk forward once more, but not even a few minutes had passed before the sound came again.

_Crack._

Glimmer whipped around to look behind them. Were they being followed?

“Guys, maybe we should look into that. It sounded like someone walking.”

“Nah, it’s like I said before,” Adora told her. “Probably just an animal.”

“Paranoid much, Sparkles?” Catra asked. “Come on, let’s move again already.”

They took off once again. Glimmer wanted to check it out, but her friends were probably right. There was no need to be paranoid.

“Don’t worry about it, Glimmer,” Bow reassured. “I’d be able to tell if something was around. I can sense danger a mile awa-aaahhhh!”

Before he could finish his sentence, all four of them were scooped up into the air, a net now cradling them.

“A trap?” Adora asked. “Why is there a trap here?”

“So much for sensing danger,” Glimmer muttered to Bow.

“Ugh, this is irritating. We don’t have time for this.” Catra adjusted herself, accidentally kicking Bow in the head, and then readied her claws. With two strikes, she slashed the net and sent them all tumbling to the ground.

“Oomph!” Glimmer rubbed her head. “Again, I could have just teleported.”

The four of them stood up and looked at the torn up net.

“How did this get out here?” Adora kicked at the fabric.

“Maybe there are people out here we don’t know about,” Catra suggested.

“Hiiiidennn ciiityyy!” Bow squealed with huge watery eyes.

“Bow!” Glimmer shouted. “There’s no hidden- “

“What have you done!”

The group turned to find a stranger standing a few feet from them.

“You broke it!”

The angered being took a few steps forward, and out of habit, the squad readied to fight.

“Stay back!” Glimmer shouted, her staff at the ready. “Who are you?”

“I can’t believe this. Do you guys have any regard for other people’s property?”

The voice was female, that much was for sure, and both the pitch of the voice and the figures height indicated that she was most likely a kid. Glimmer tried to get a better look, but the girl was well hidden. She sported long black pants, a white skintight shirt that covered the entirety of her upper body and neck, and white gloves on her hands. On her head she wore what looked to be an old black hat, and her face was covered by a goggled metal work mask similar to what she had seen Entrapta wear when the princess was working on machinery.

“Uh, who are you?” Adora asked.

“That’s not the important question here,” the girl answered. “The question now is how in the world am I am I supposed to catch that damn bug.”

The stranger rounded on Catra.

“Why did you have to tear this up?”

“Hey! Don’t get pissed at me. It’s your fault for putting it here.”

“I was trying to hunt something!” She pointed up to the canopy of a tree that the five of them stood by. “There is an incredibly rare bug that lives all the way up there in a nest. It only ever comes out once every couple of months. According to my studies, it was supposed to come out today, and I was going to catch it for food! But oh no, some stupid group of people who aren’t even supposed to be here in the first place went and ruined the trap! Ugh, my sister is going to kill me.”

“Look here you little- “

“Wait!” Bow cut Catra off. “You said your sister? Is there more people nearby.”

“You’re a bunch of idiots.” The child fumbled with her torn net.

“Is there some kind of village in these woods?” Adora asked.

“I’m never going to hear the end of this. Why my poor net?”

“Hey!”

Glimmer stood in front of the younger female.

“We’re asking you questions.”

“Well duh, I’m not stupid. I can hear your big mouths loud and clear, but I’m choosing not to answer.”

“Why?”

“Are you really that dense?” The girl poked Glimmer on the forehead. “You ruined a net that took me nearly to weeks two make! Gah!”

The girl kicked the trashed trap to the side and began taking off.

“We need to follow her,” Bow told them. “If she lives near here, she might be able to help us.”

“Wait!” Adora called, the group running to catch up. “Hold on, we really need your help.”

“Don’t care.”

“But it’s important!”

“That’s a shame.”

“Please!”

Glimmer teleported from her spot and landed right in front of the girl. There was a desperation in her voice as she spoke.

“Please, if you are familiar with these woods, we need help.”

The child stood there quietly for a moment before groaning.

“You are so annoying. What in the world could I possibly do to help you?”

“Well, first off, could you tell me your name?”

When Glimmer first saw the girl, her heart jumped. If this little girl was in the woods, then maybe she lived there, or at least nearby, and if that was true, then maybe this stranger was her sister. It was a rash assumption to make, even for her, but the part of her that missed Rose couldn’t help it.

“Ugh. It’s Zip. My name is Zip. There, are you happy now?”

Her heart sunk a little, but it was too be expected. There was no way that the first person she met would be the one she was looking for. After all, if this were Rose, the girl would have recognized Glimmer from the start.

“Hello, Zip. My name’s Glimmer, and these are my friends Adora, Catra, and Bow.”

“Charmed.”

The other three now joined her side.

“Do you live in this forest?” Adora asked.

“Yes and no.”

Catra scratched her head.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what I said. Yes and no.”

“Are there others?” Glimmer questioned.

“Yes.”

“Can you bring us to them?”

“Nope.”

“What?” Glimmer was getting a little exasperated. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to. I have no reason to. Now if you don’t mind, I need to go.”

“No wait! Please!”

Glimmer moved to put herself in front of Zip once more. She was just about to teleport when the girl suddenly stopped in her tracks. She then watched as Zip leaned closer to her.

“What is that weird looking thing around your neck?”

Glimmer was a tad confused.

“Wh-what?”

“That thing you’re wearing. What is it?”

Glimmer looked down and realized that Zip was talking about her pendant.

“U-uh, it’s part of a star. I have this one, my mom has another piece, and my younger sister has the last one.” Glimmer’s eyes then grew big. “Wait, do you recognize this?”

Zip was silent for a moment, but then shook her head.

“No. It’s just so horrible looking that I had to point it out.”

Catra let out a small snort, eliciting mildly dirty looks from the rest of her friends.

“What? That was pretty good.”

When Zip finally leaned away, she irritably sighed.

“Damn it. Fine. Whatever. I’ve changed my mind. You want to meet the other people who live here? I’ll take you to them.”

“Really?” Catra’s brow raised at the sudden change of heart. “Why say yes now?”

“Would you rather I change my mind?”

“No, no!” Adora cut in. “Not at all. Where do you and everyone live?”

“Right here in the forest, but since no outsider can get in the city, few people know about it. The city itself is underground.”

There was a silence among them.

“Did you say underground?” Glimmer asked.

“Did I stutter?”

The tiniest of squeaks could be heard from Bow, his cheeks all red and his eyes sparkling. Adora sighed at the reaction.

“Go on. Just say it.”

“Gah! Hiiiiddeeen Ciiityyyy!!!”

Zip shook her head and groaned.

“This is such an inconvenience. Look, if you’re going to come, let’s go. The entrance is in the center of the forest.”

Zip then took off, leading the way as the others walked behind.

“I knew it!” Bow said excitedly. “My dads were right! There’s a hidden city right here in the forest, and we get to go inside! I bet we’ll learn tons of stuff from whatever ancient beings are rumored to be there.”

“I don’t know if we’ll find any ancient beings,” Adora told him. “I mean, she’s a kid who lives there, right? And she has a sister. They don’t seem like ancient beings.”

“They don’t, no, but that doesn’t mean none live down there. There’s got to be ancient ones.”

“I wonder why she was so quick to change her mind,” Catra wondered. “She was adamant about getting away, and now all of a sudden we’re welcome? I smell something fishy.”

“That is a little odd,” Adora agreed. “You don’t think this is some kind of trap do you?”

“Oi! Weirdo!” Catra called. “Seriously, why are you letting us in now? You told us no in the beginning.”  
“I’m letting you in because you lot are going to explain to my sister why I wasn’t able to catch that rare bug. You guys are gonna tell her that you have a furball on your team who can’t control herself.”

“I’m not a furball you idiot!”

“Guys!”

The group had finally made their way out of the first part of the forest and into a massive clearing. In the middle of the clearing stood the largest and widest tree they had ever seen. It looked ancient, but strong, tangled blossomed vines decorating the bark.

“Wow,” Glimmer breathed. “This is beautiful.”

“This is also home.”

Zip walked towards the tree and stood in front of an area that was completely covered in moss.

“Home is here?” Adora asked.

“Yep. We’re about to go inside.”

“Inside?” Bow looked around the mossy area Zip was in front of. “I don’t see an entrance.”

Without a word, Zip took out a small green stone that was attached to a hemp string. She then placed it on the moss. At first, nothing happened, but after a few moments, the moss faded away and an opening appeared.

“Woah!” Bow was having the time of his life. “That was awesome!”

“How did you do that?” Glimmer asked, also amazed.

“There’s a special crystal below this tree that helps give it life. The people here mined some of it and we use it as keys to get in and out when needed. Well, are you coming or not?”

Zip was already making her way down a grey stoned staircase, Glimmer and the gang now following close behind. As they walked, Glimmer noticed that the cracked stone walls were decorated with both torches and vines similar to the ones outside. Looking behind, she also noticed the opening had disappeared.

“You sure we’ll be able to get out?” She asked.

“Duh. Did you not see me outside? Don’t ask such stupid questions.”

There was another door at the bottom of the staircase, but this one was made of mahogany wood and had a picture of the very tree they had entered carved upon it.

“Whatever you do, don’t look at anyone, don’t talk to anyone, and don’t be stupid.”

Zip then opened the door and stepped through onto a large metal platform. Glimmer followed right behind, and when her eyes fell onto the bustled city before her, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Holy wow. Guys, do you see all this?”

As the squad looked out, Zip could only shrug.

“Welcome to Briar Glen.”


	3. Chapter Three: Search

Chapter Three: Search

“This sure doesn’t look like a city with ancient ones.”

Glimmer followed behind Zip as Bow took in the fact that this place wasn't what he thought. For a city that was underground, she thought it looked pretty amazing. There were houses of all shapes and sizes, shops selling goods, and all manner of creatures and humans living side by side.

“That’s because it’s not,” Catra pointed out. “It looks like nothing but a regular city.”

"I mean, it does look cool," Adora added. "But I don't think it's the way you described it in the legend."

“There has to be something though!” He said. “I mean, why would this underground city be created if it weren’t special? Why is it so hard to find?”

“It’s underground and hard to find because the people living here hate the outside world.”

Glimmer looked over at Zip when she answered.

“They what?”

"Ugh. You guys ask too many questions. This place was created by a group of sorcerers hundreds of years ago for the sole purpose of leaving the outside world. They were tired of existing there, and they were even more annoyed with the people. That ideology still exists today. Almost everyone living here despises outsiders. Whatever ancient beings you’re talking about don’t reside here. Only grumpy people.”

Glimmer glanced around the wide variety of residents they were wading through and saw that their guide was right. Some of the townsfolk were whispering, and some of them seemed angry. There were even those who closed up their shops when they walked by.

“So this is basically like the Crimson Waste, but with less sand,” Catra said. “Great. So uh, tell me again why we’re walking into a place that hates us?”

"We came so the ancient beings could answer our questions." Bow let out a watery-eyed sniffle. "I can't believe they don't exist."

“They may not,” Adora replied. “But the residents here are more than real, so maybe they know something.”

“Don’t count on it.”

“What do you mean by that?” Glimmer asked Zip.

“What part of ‘they hate the outside world’ do you not comprehend? Only a select group of people willingly go to the surface, so don’t be surprised if whatever questions you’re going to ask don’t get answered.”

Glimmer shot a frustrated look in the girl's direction. Why was she so negative all the time?

"We're still going to try anyway. We might end up learning something."

Zip shook her head.

“Your positivity is sickening.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes but ignored the comment. She wasn’t in the mood to argue.

“Where are you taking us anyways?”

The child pointed out a rather large building made of grey stone just ahead of them. People were filing in and out of it sporadically, and over the door hung an oval wooden sign.

“The Brass Leaf Inn.” Bow read.

“My brother and sister own it. Remember, before you get to your pointless questions, make sure to tell my sister how you ruined my work. Mind you, she’s not a nice person. My brother on the other hand, well, you’ll see.”

The group entered the inn as soon as they reached it. Almost instantly, Glimmer felt unwelcome. There were round wooden tables filled with residents chatting and drinking, but as soon as they stepped inside, everyone went silent. All eyes were on them, and no one seemed pleased at their presence.

“Zip. What the heck are you thinking?”

The five of them had just reached the bar. Behind it stood a tall woman with long red hair and eyes to match.

“Zip!” The woman shrilled. “I asked you a question, and take that stupid thing off your face when I’m talking to you!”

The girl slipped onto a stool and sat there nonchalantly.

“No thanks, Camilla.”

“Zip!”

“Shove it. I don’t need to listen to you.”

“You will when I- “

“Hey!” Glimmer cut into the conversation with an apologetic smile. “Sorry to bother you, but we- “

“I knew you were a stupid kid from the moment I laid eyes on you, but this?” Camilla pointed to the newcomers. “Really? Are you that dense?”

“Don’t look at me!” Zip snapped. “It’s your fault they’re here in the first place!”

“How is this my fault!”

“Recap. You’re the one who wanted me to go out and catch that stupid bug all so you could have some rare meal.”

“What does that have anything to do with them?” Camilla asked.

“Uh, everything. It was the stupid furball over there who ruined my damn trap!”

“I am not a furball!” Catra yelled.

"Hmph," Camilla smirked. "Always have to blame someone else for your problems, don't you?"

“I’m telling the truth!”

“Everyone calm down!”

Adora had to yell over the voices to get their attention. She then leaned on the counter to face the woman.

“Look, she's not lying. We were searching for something in the forest and accidentally fell into her trap. Catra tore it up to get us out. While we do have questions we want to ask, we also came to back her story up. She's not at fault here."

Camilla scoffed.

"Shut up you. I don't care what you have to say. Everything is her fault."

"It is not!" Zip snapped. "Did you not hear a word she said? I brought them down here so you could see that I was in the right and that little miss princess and her gang of idiots were the perpetrators!"

"Wait a second." Bow was confused. "We never mentioned that anyone here was a princess."

Zip pointed at Glimmer’s hair.

"Come on. She literally sparkles. It's disgusting. If that doesn't yell princess then I don't know what does."

"Did I hear the word princess?"

With a crash, a muscular man sporting the same red hair as Camilla came busting out of a door that was behind the counter, his crimson eyes sparkling.

“Oh boy! Outsiders!”

Zip groaned and flopped her head onto the table.

“Here we go.”

"This is perfect!" The man squealed. "I haven't seen outsiders in a long time, and one of them is a princess. Eek!"

Camilla rolled her eyes with disgust before turning to walk away.

"You're a serious embarrassment to our community, Cal."

The male paid no mind to the comment and kept chatting.

“It’s honestly great to see you here. Please, sit!”

“Lemme get this straight,” Catra said. “You don’t hate us?”

“Zip said everyone down here hates outsiders,” Glimmer added.

“I said _almost_ everyone. Listen when I speak.”

Once the other four had taken a seat, each was given a cup of something warm and fizzy to drink.

"My secret recipe," the man winked. "But yes, Zip is right. You won't be liked by a majority of the people down here, but I find outsiders fascinating, especially princesses. Oh, and in case you didn't hear, my name is Cal. I'm the older brother to both Camilla and Zip."

“Hi,” Glimmer smiled. “My name is Glimmer, and I’m a princess on Bright Moon. There are my friends Adora, Catra, and Bow. Adora here is also a princess. She’s She-rah!”

Cal’s eyes sparked again.

“She-ra? The She-ra? I’ve heard about you. You’re legendary!”

Adora waved her hand meekly.

“Nah, I’m nothing special.”

“That’s for sure,” Zip mumbled.

“Are you kidding me?” Bow asked, a foamy mustache decorating his face. “She’s awesome!”

“I’m surprised you even know about princesses,” Catra said as she downed her drink. “You know, living underground and all.”

"While we don't often interact with the outside world, we do know some stories," Cal told her. "Princesses are one of them, though not too much is known."

“Just that they’re glowy and weird,” Zip added.

“And perfect!” Cal held out another pitcher. “Refills anyone?”

"Me!" A bright-eyed bow held out his cup. "This drink is delicious!"

“Thanks! Have as much as you ant. Any friends of Zip’s are friends of mine.”

“Oh please. Don’t insult me,” Zip grumbled. “They’re not my friends. They’re a bunch of nobodies.”

“Rude much?” Catra asked.

“Always.”

“Oh don’t take what Zip says to heart,” Cal reassured. “She can be a little grumpy when she doesn’t get enough sleep. It’s quite cute actually.”

“Stop calling me cute!”

“Aww, what’s the matter?” Catra teased. “Does the little cute Zippy need a nap?”

“Gah! I’ll kill you!”

“Oh yes, she definitely sees you as friends. Anyways, what were you guys doing in the woods?”

Glimmer took another sip of her drink before answering.

"We're on a mission. We're searching for something."

“Oh? For what?”

“Well, we don’t really know exactly,” Glimmer answered. “We’re mostly looking for anything that might give us a clue on a missing person.”

“Missing person?” Cal questioned.

“Yes. We’re looking for clues about my sister, Rose.”

There was an odd silence when she said that name, Zip shuffling in her seat as Cal looked at her with piqued interest.

"You don't happen to know someone by that name, do you?" She queried.

"Hmm, it sounds familiar, but I'd have to think about it. How did you lose her?"

"We didn't lose her ourselves," Glimmered answered a little sadly. "She was kidnapped from my home. Five years ago, Bright Moon was attacked by a group who called themselves the Horde. I was eleven at the time. My mom tried getting my sister and me to safety, but she had to go protect the Moon Stone, so she charged me with getting to one of our underground safe rooms. However, when I got to her bedroom, she was being flown away on one of their ships. She called to me, but I couldn’t get to her because my powers weren’t strong enough.”

Glimmered sniffled as she remembered. There was always a part of her that blamed herself for Rose’s disappearance. If only she hadn’t used up all of her magic.

"The last sighting for the ship was over this forest," Bow continued. "Guards checked the area but came back empty-handed. For two years people searched, but when she was never found, everyone assumed she had died. However, a recent discovery has proved otherwise."

“So you came back to the last sighting to recheck for clues,” Cal confirmed. Glimmered nodded in turn.

"We planned to scour the entire area," Adora told him. "But then we ran into Zip and learned that there were more people nearby. We were hoping we could question some of them to see if anyone knows anything."

Cal smiled at the group.

“That’s awfully brave of you guys. I commend you. Wherever she is, I hope she knows how lucky she is to have a sister like you Glimmer. A strong sister and strong friends.”

Glimmer smiled back.

“Thank you.”

"Of course. Well, now that you've shared your story, I'm happy to tell you that fate has been quite kind. I don't know much myself, but I can safely say that your journey is not wasted."

“It’s not?” Glimmer asked.

"Nope. You see, I've been here all my life, and six years ago, there was a ship that crashed into this very forest."

Glimmer jumped out of her seat.

“What? It did? Was it Horde? Was anyone on it?”

Cal shook his head.

“I’m not sure. It was a hushed situation. Only the Hunter’s Guild was involved. They were the ones who found it.”

“The Hunter’s Guild?” Adora asked. “Who are they? Can we talk to them?”

"You sure can! They're an elite group of fighters who go out into the forest to bring back food and goods we need for the city. However, they don't come back until tomorrow."

"Ugh, tomorrow?" Catra groaned. "They can't just return today?"

“I’m afraid not. They’ll be back in the afternoon, but you can feel free to stay in the inn if you’d like, free of charge!”

"Really?" Adora looked excited. "You’d let us stay?”

"Of course! I think what you're doing is amazing, and as I said before, any friend of Zip's is a friend of mine."

“Cal! They are not my friends. Ugh. Not to mention, you forgot one minor detail.”

“What’s that?” Glimmer asked.

“The Hunter’s Guild refuses to speak to outsiders. They won’t let an outsider in unless someone in the city accompanies them.”

“Oh yeah! I forgot about that. Good thing they have you then, right?”

“Wh-what? Cal! No way! I’m not taking them anywhere!”

“It won’t hurt,” Cal said back.

"It'll hurt me! They've caused me enough trouble already. I don't want to be near them any more than I have to."

"You're the only one who can though," Cal told her. "The guild knows and trusts you."

"You can really do it?" Bow asked. "That'd be great if you could get us in!"

“Yeah!” Adora exclaimed. “Come with us!”

“I said no! I don’t want to help any of you!”

“I’m not thrilled with the idea of being stuck with you either,” Catra said. “But the quicker we get help, the quicker you’ll be rid of us.”

“Please?” Glimmer took Zip’s hands into her own. “She’s my sister, and my mom and I really miss her. Please help us?”

Zip tore her hands from Glimmer, and for a moment, the princess thought she’d disagree. However, after a loud groan, she gave in.

"You guys are seriously starting to get on my nerves. Fiiiine. But I'm not happy about it. You better be ready on time. Ugh. I'm going to bed. I can't stand the sight of you guys anymore."

With a huff, she slipped from her seat and disappeared through a side door.

Once Zip was gone, the group was left alone with Cal.

"Please take what she says with a grain of salt. She's not a bad kid at all. She's just…troubled."

“Clearly,” Catra mumbled.

"Thank you for letting us stay," Adora smiled gratefully. "We appreciate it, that and the information you gave us."

“See Glimmer?” Bow said excitedly. “I told you we’d find something. Hidden city!”

Cal chuckled and beckoned them to the same door Zip had gone through.

“I think you’ll find everything you need here, that’s for sure. For now, let me show you to your rooms.”

Glimmer nodded and got up to follow. Her heart was racing with excitement. There had been a part of her that believed nothing would come from visiting the forest, but to hear that a ship had crashed there lifted her spirits. It had to be the Horde ship, right?

“ _I’m coming for you Rose. I’ll bring you home.”_

* * *

“Hey Zip?”

Night had fallen, and the young girl sat on her bed with her back against the wall.

“What do you want, Cal?”

“You never ate dinner, so I thought you might be hungry.”

He placed a tray of hot soup and bread on her desk.

“Let her starve,” said Camilla from the door. “She lost her hunt. She deserves it.”

“Go step in a Venom Snake Pit you piece of dirt,” she insulted.

“Why don’t you do us all a favor and do it yourself,” the woman hissed back.

“Camilla, please.”

Cal walked over and shut the door. When his attention was on Zip again, he sighed.

“Are you going to keep hiding behind that mask and hat?”

“Shut up. I’m not taking them off till they’re gone.”

Cal walked over and sat beside her.

“I know you’re curious. You always have been. Why not be open with them?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said lowly. “I’m not curious about anything.”

"Now that's a lie. If you weren't, their presence wouldn't affect you. I know you said you brought them down to show Camilla that they were the ones to break the trap, but you really brought them in because of Glimmer, didn't you?"

Zip shuffled uncomfortably in place. While she wouldn’t willingly admit it, it was true what he said. She had seen Glimmer before the group had seen her, and almost immediately there was some weird connection. There was something about the princess that seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“You two look alike, just a little,” Cal said softly. “You have the same hair color, and the same eye color, too. And when she talked about losing- “

“Screw what she said.” That was something that bothered her the most. If seeing Glimmer hadn’t woken something inside of her, then hearing the story did.

“Zip,” Cal said a little more sternly. “Calm yourself. I’m not saying you have to do anything right now, but you need to come clean to them at some point. Don’t push them away. They can help you.”

"I don't need their damn help. I never did before and I don't need it now."

Cal sighed and stood.

“Just think about it, okay? I know you lost hope long ago, but try to find it again. This meeting was meant to be. I know it. Good night, Zip.”

When he left the room, she scowled.

“I don’t want to think about anything, especially them.”

Cal had been right. She did give up hope a long time ago. She had given up hope that something like this would ever happen, but now she was faced with the one thing she used to dream of and didn’t know how to handle it. She was saddened, hurt, and confused.

“Idiots!”

She tore from her bed and walked to her desk. After pulling the top drawer open, she pulled out a pendent that consisted of two star points. She squeezed it tight and held it to her heart, her eyes filling with tears.

“What do I do?”

* * *

The Hunter's Guild. The only group of people who went to the surface to scavenge for goods and food. Sure other individuals went outside here and there, but they were the designated beings who scoured the forest for things the city needed.

"Cal told us that the guild has been after you for a while," Bow said. "They say you're pretty skilled with hunting, and that they wanna train you."

"Cal has a big mouth."

Much to her dismay, Zip was leading the group to the guild, a building that was on the other end of the city. She had no desire to be around either of them, especially since she had barely slept the night before.

“I think that’s kind of cool,” Bow replied. “Do you often like visiting the surface?”

“Do you often ask too many questions?”

“Ouch,” Catra said. “Aww, is little Zippy grouchy again?”

"Shut it stupid face!" Zip snapped.

"You shut it, dimwit."

“Filthy feline!”

“Piece of- “

“Children!” Adora cut in. “Can we not do this right now?”

“She started it,” Catra mumbled. Adora shot her a sharp glance in reply.

“You okay this morning?”

Zip kept her eyes straight ahead as Glimmer spoke. Of the group, it was she that Zip had the hardest time being around. She didn’t like what her heart felt, and she hated that nagging feeling in her brain that told her she knew Glimmer from somewhere. Zip tried getting out of helping again this morning, but Cal had been adamant, telling her that she needed to be there.

“ _Try to learn something from them. You might be able to understand your origins if you do. Do it before the opportunity is gone._ ”

She inwardly scowled from the words, and also at the fact that she was indeed a tad curious.

“I’m fine.”

Glimmer only shrugged and fiddled with a pink ball of sparkling light in her hands. When Zip saw this, she rolled her eyes.

“Oh god, not only does your damn hair sparkle, but your magic is sparkles, too? I’m embarrassed for you.”

"Hey! They're actually more powerful than you think!" Glimmer told her. Catra was cracking up in the background, prompting Glimmer to defend herself more. "They are! Whatever. Let's just hurry up and get there."

"You think the guild will be able to help us?" Adora asked.

“How should I know?”

“Well, you know them right?”

“Just because I know them doesn’t mean I’ll know if they can help you,” Zip replied. “How thick can you be?”

“Hey now,” Bow said. “There’s no need to be so hostile. We’re just trying to get answers.”

“Yeah, well maybe princess over there should have kept better track of her family. If she had, you wouldn’t be here asking me stupid questions in the first place.”

She hadn’t meant to say those words, but she was feeling angrier than usual. Angry and confused.

“That’s not fair!”

Glimmer stopped in her tracks, tears in her eyes.

“I was trying to get to her, and my mom was trying to get to both of us, but she couldn’t leave the Moon Stone!”

“Maybe you both should have tried harder.”

"Hey, chill out," Catra said. "I'm all for snarky comments, but that's too much. You've been nothing but rude since we met, and now you're worst today. What's your problem?"

“You’re all my problem!” She snapped. “You shouldn’t have come here!”

“Why not?” Adora asked angrily. “What’s it to you?”

“It’s everything to me!”

Zip felt her body start to shake when she said these words. She had told herself to stop wishing long ago. That hope couldn't spark back up now. She wasn't ready for it.

Zip took a step closer to Glimmer.

“Answer me this. Why now? Why did you wait so long to look for her?”

“We said this yesterday. For two years we looked for her, but when we couldn’t find her, we all assumed she was dead.”

“That was a stupid assumption,” Zip said back. “If you loved her, you would have kept looking.”

“Why would we look for someone if we thought she was dead! We thought we lost her!”

“And now you suddenly think she’s alive?”

“Yes! I can’t explain to you why or how we know, but we do. She’s alive, and we’re going to bring her home.”

The heated argument left everyone quiet. Zip had tried keeping her emotions under control, but she was hurting. When she was finally able to calm herself, she pushed passed Glitter and continued on.

“Whatever. Let’s just do this so you can leave me be.”

Not another word was said until they had reached the guild. Two armored guards stood at the wooden doors. They tensed up when they saw four strangers, but when they noticed Zip, they nodded and let her walk inside.

“If I weren’t here right now, you would have never made it inside. Whatever you do, be respectful, and don’t ask stupid questions. They don’t like people who waste their time.”

The group traveled down a long white hallway full of many doors before coming to a large brass one at the end of it. When Zip opened it, they found a group of armored beings sorting through what looked to be mounds of different colored plants and animals.

"They collected all this?" Adora asked.

"They're called the Hunter's Guild for a reason."

“Zip?”

As they reached the center of the room, they were greeted by a stout woman dressed up in leather gear. She had two horns protruding from the top of her head and honey-colored eyes. Her skin was grey, and her face resembled something like a fawn.

“Hello, Saber.”

The woman smiled.

“Have you finally come to join the guild?”

“In your dreams. Some idiots here want to ask you some questions.”

Saber looked up at the four strangers.

“Outsiders?”

“Unfortunately.”

"Hello," Adora greeted. "My name is Adora, and this is Glimmer, Bow, and Catra. We're sorry to bother you, but Cal said you might be able to help us."

"My name is Saber. I lead this guild. Despite being a hunter, I don't generally like to converse with outsiders, but if Zip is with you, and since Cal sent you to me, then I will answers your questions as best I can."

“Thank you,” Adora replied. “Glimmer?”

The princess stepped up.

"Cal told us that about six years ago, you guys found a ship in the woods."

Saber thought for a moment.

"Oh, yes, we did. It was the first time we had ever seen a craft like that so close."

"Do you know if it was a Horde ship?"

"Ah, the Horde. We haven't spoken about them in awhile. Yes, it was theirs. We saw the markings. We knew who the Horde was from outsiders we had met, but we've never come in contact with anyone from that group. Not any that have been alive anyways."

"That ship," Glimmer said urgently. "It was supposed to be carrying a little girl. She had pink hair like me, and we had the same eye color, too. She would have been six. Did you see her?"

Saber was silent for a moment as if contemplating what to answer.

“No,” she finally said. “The only one on board was a pilot, and he was dead.”

“Are you sure?” Glimmer asked desperately. “No girl at all? Were there signs that a child may have been on board.”

Saber shook her head.

“Nothing.”

Glitter’s face faltered at the news.

“Where was the ship located?” Catra asked. “Is it still there?”

“Not anymore,” the woman replied. “My team and I took it apart. We wanted the metals for our city. However, you can search the area if you need to. There might be something there that missed our eyes.”

Glimmer's gaze widened slightly.

“We’ll do that! Where is it?”

“Just south of the grand tree. About five miles from here.”

“That’s perfect!” Adora said. “We’ll go check it out now!”

“Just be wary. Many creatures you are not familiar with lurk out there.”

"Eh, we'll be fine," Catra said. "We haven't run into anything yet."

"Come on!" Glitter said. "This is our first real lead. We need to see the area before it gets too dark. Thank you, Saber, we appreciate your help.”

Saber nodded in reply.

“Zip will open the way out for you, but first I must speak to her. Please give us a few moments.”

“Sure,” Adora said. “Come on guys, let’s go wait outside.”

Once they left, Zip crossed her arms and looked away from the other. Saber could only shake her head.

“Are you going to thank me for covering for you?”

Zip still said nothing.

“Why are you hiding? I thought you were braver than this.”

"I am brave!" She snapped. "You're starting to sound like Cal. Why does everyone think I'm hiding?"

"Because you are. You've been curious about your past for the entire time I've known you, and now you're just going to ignore this?"

“I stopped being curious a long time ago.”

“That’s a lie.”

“What do you know!”

Saber kneeled to Zip’s height.

"Much more than you think. I know you've always wanted to know where you came from. I know there is still a small bit of hope in you even though you claim it's gone. I know you refuse to join this guild because you don't want to commit to anything knowing you might leave someday. And I know, that more than anything, you're scared."

Zip could feel tears burning in her eyes. Half of her hated Saber for telling the truth.

“Speak to them. Tell them your story.”

“You make it sound so easy! It’s not something I can just do!”

“You must. You know as well as I do that you’re not meant for this place.”

Zip clenched her fists in anger.

“No one knows anything. We’re done here.”

She then turned and walked away.

“Show yourself to them,” she heard Saber call as she left. “Don’t hide from the truth.”

Zip made no reply. She was too angry. What did everyone want her to find the truth? Why did fate have to play her like this when she had already resigned herself to being forever lost?

“ _This is so stupid. Why now? I convinced myself that I was hated. I finally began to understand why I was here, so why is this happening?”_

“Zip?”

She had made it out the door. The crew was outside.

“You all right?” Adora asked.

Zip merely pushed passed them and walked on.

“Let’s go. The sooner I get you to the entrance, the sooner you can leave.”

While the others spoke, Zip took the trip in silence.

"This is so great!" Glimmer said. "There's never been a confirmation of the ship crashing here, which means she must have passed through this forest!"

“And if we can find that spot, then maybe we can trace where she went next,” Bow added.

“It shouldn’t take too long,” Adora told them. “I’d say teleport, but we don’t know the forest too well.”

“Walking won’t be an issue,” Catra yawned. “Especially since the Frightening Wilds aren’t that frightening.”

When they reached the entrance, Zip led them back up the stairs and opened the door, the group stepping out right after.

“Thank you, Zip,” Glimmer said. “I know you’re not thrilled with us, but we’re really thankful for your help.”

“It’s whatever.”

"And you know, if you wanted, you could join us here, too," Bow suggested. "You've been super helpful, and we could always use another pair of eyes."

“Yeah!” Adora exclaimed. “Why don’t you come along? You like hunting, right? Maybe if we face a creature, you can help us kill it and use it for food.”

“I doubt we’ll find some monster,” Catra said. “This place is boring fight wise.”

Zip actually considered this. Part of her wanted to run back to hide again, but she couldn’t get Saber’s words out of her mind. She couldn’t push away that little tug she felt from Glimmer.

"Plus, since the forest seems to change, it would be helpful to have you around." Bow poked at his trackpad. "You know this place better than us."

This pulled Zip from her thoughts.

“Wait, what?”

“I said since the forest seems to change, we- “

“What are you talking about?” Zip asked him. “The forest here doesn’t change.”

Bow looked confused.

"Well, it must. This rock wasn't here before."

He walked over to a nearby blue lump.

“You sure? This wasn't here before."

Zip’s eyes widened from behind her metal mask.

“Bow, I need you to walk away slowly.”

“What? Why? It’s just a rock.”

“Move! Now!”

“Calm down.” He reached out to touch the object. “See? Just a- oh. Why is this rock so squishy?”

As soon as he touched it, the lump moved and faced Bow, a maw of teeth greeting him. The three-eyed creature then snarled out of hunger.

“What the heck is that?” Glimmer yelled.

“It’s a Giga Worm,” Zip shouted. “And he’s not happy! Bow get out of there!”

Zip ran towards the creature, but before she could get to Bow, the worm’s tail slapped her and knocked her to the side.

“Ahh!”

“Zip!” Glimmer took out her staff and teleported closer to the beast. “Catra! Attack from the other side!”

“I’m on it! Adora!”

“I know!” The blond flung out her sword. “For the honor of Gray Skull!”

While this was all going on, a slightly dazed Zip sat up. Her eyes felt a bit blurry. When she went to touch her face, she realized she could feel skin. Panicking, she looked around and saw her mask snapped in half just a few feet away, her hat not far from it.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

“Shoot it Bow!”

“I’m on it!” He docked one of his arrows and shot it towards the creatures face, an extreme amount of green goo now covering it.

“I’ve got him!” Adora shouted. She ran towards the best and readied to jump. “You’re gonna- what?!”

Before she had a chance to attack, the worm levitated in the air.

“What’s going on?” Catra asked. “What the heck kind of move is that?”

“You are gonna pay.”

It was Zip who spoke these words, her hand out and pointed to the creature.

“Wait,” Bow said in shock. “Is she doing that?”

“No way.” Adora couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “She’s moving it with her- “

“Mind.” Glimmer whispered.

Zip pulled the creature towards her. She was beyond pissed. Then, with a yell, she lifted the creature higher and slammed him into the ground.

“Why. Must. People. Break. My. Things!”

The worm hit the ground with every word she spoke, and after another yell, she turned her body and threw her arm behind her, sending the danger flying off into the distance. When it was gone, she knelt to the ground, a bit out of breath.

“Stupid thing.”

The other four looked on at the young girl, their eyes wide.

“Did you guys just see that?” Bow asked.

“Yeah, yeah we did,” Adora gulped. “And are you guys seeing- “

"Yep," Catra said. "Yep, we are. Now this is interesting."

Zip stood up with the broken mask in hand.

“Why does this always happen to me? First my net, then my mask. Why does the world not want me to have nice things?”

She tossed the mask aside and scowled. When she looked up at the others, she saw them staring back with odd gazes.

“What are you looking at?”

Glimmer took a few steps forward, her eyes welling up at the pink hair and purple eyes she was staring at.

“Rose?”

Zip froze when she heard that name again. It had shocked her the first time Glimmer spoke it, but now that the girl was saying it directly to her, it struck a new nerve. 

“Rose,” Glimmer said again. “Is that you?”

Zip wasn't sure what to do. The way Glimmer said it sounded so natural to her ears. She wanted to respond, but fear kept her silent. Her fear was so strong that she could only do what she did best and ran back to her home to hide.

“Rose! Wait!”

Glimmer teleported from her spot and right in front of Zip. The child nearly tripped in her tracks, but caught herself at the last minute.

“Please!”

Without a word, Zip used her magic to push Glimmer to the side before running towards the tree opening again. She wasn't ready for this.

“Come back!”

Zip made it into the entrance just in time to see Glimmer teleporting right outside of it. Zip threw her hands up again to push her away, and the last thing she saw a desperate Glimmer trying to reach out.

“Don’t go! Rose!”


	4. Chapter Four: Taking Chances

Chapter Four: Taking Chances

“Zip? Zip! Open up!”

The eleven-year-old stared at herself in the mirror, her deep purple eyes scanning the long pink hair that stopped just below her shoulders. There hadn’t been a time in her life where she had felt overly bothered by her appearance. In growing up alongside a multitude of beings, she never felt like she stood out. Now, however, she felt exposed. Exposed and annoyed at the fact that she had been so easily noticed when the mask and hat came off.

“Come on, you promised.”

 _“Rose, is that you?_ ”

The memory of the events from the previous day had remained Zip’s constant companion. It was hard to forget the looks the crew had given her, especially Glimmer. That one struck her the most.

“ _Don’t go! Rose!”_

“Open the door!”

“Ahh!”

She punched the wall with a scream. All she wanted to do was be alone.

“Zip!”

She scowled before heaving a sigh. Without looking from her reflection, she magically turned the door lock. She knew using her magic right now wasn't smart, even for minute actions, but she was too worked up to mind her exhaustion.

“I have been worried about you all night.”

Cal had finally entered the room. When he shut the door once more, he walked over and stood beside her.

“You look terrible. You used some of your magic yesterday, didn’t you? I can tell. You know you have to be careful. It takes you a long while to naturally recover.”

“I care very little about my current state,” she hissed.

"Well, I care a lot!” Zip turned to find a worried Cal staring back, a pang of guilt filling her. “The last time you used too much magic, you were asleep for three days!”

The girl forced herself to take the attitude down a notch. It wasn't fair to be mean to one of the few people who had only ever shown her kindness during her underground life.

“I’m sorry. Yesterday didn’t go well, and I hardly slept last night.”

“What happened?” Cal asked. “After returning from the guild, you ran into here and never came back out.”

Zip sat and leaned back in her wooden chair. She wasn’t up for talking about it, but she didn’t want to worry Cal more than she already had.

“Saber told us about the ship. It belonged to these people called the Horde. Glimmer got all excited and wanted to check the crash site to see if there were any clues about her sister.”

“You mean clues about you?”

Zip clenched her fists.

“You know there was never any real proof that I came from that ship, so she can’t pin this search on me.”

“You were found the same day the ship was discovered though.”

“Yeah, but at this tree, not at the site.”

She flicked a piece of dirt from her pants.

“Anyways, Saber told me to lead them to the entrance so they could leave and investigate, and well, that didn’t quite go as planned.”

"Why?" Cal asked. "Did she accidentally blow your cover before you could?"

“No. She kept that a secret. It was a stupid Giga Worm that ruined everything.”

She peered at the broken mask on her bed.

“Bow just had to touch it, and I got hit because of his stupidity, resulting in both my hat flying off and my mask breaking. So, I got pissed, used my powers to defeat the worm, and then got to deal with their stupid stares when they realized what I looked like.”

She groaned and leaned forward, hiding her face in her hands.

“What did you do after that?”

“I ran away and locked them outside.”

Zip looked back up to see Cal staring back incredulously.

“You did what? You ran and left them out there?”

“Uh, duh.”

“Why?” He asked. “You should have stayed!”

“I didn’t want to.”

“But they- “

“She called me by my real name!” Zip stood as she shouted this. “Not just casually, but directly to me. Do you have any idea how it felt to hear that from a complete stranger!?”

She turned her back towards him, her irate gaze slipping into a slightly saddened one.

“You didn’t see the recognition in Glimmer’s eyes. You didn’t see her pain. She knew me, Cal, and it was

frightening. I couldn’t stay.”

Cal reached over and pulled her into a hug. She didn’t welcome it as she wasn’t one for affection, but she didn’t push it away either.

“I understand. I can’t imagine how scary this is for you, but you can’t run forever. You know this.”

He pulled away and knelt in front of her.

“Why can’t I?” Zip asked. “It’s easier to stay hidden.”

“If Glimmer and her friends are looking for you, that means you have a home and a family you belong with.”

Zip’s look turned angry again.

“You can’t say that with certainty. I belong to no one. I'm not going to fall for this stupid long lost family thing. You know how I feel. Families are useless and anyone who believes in them is weak."

A hurt glance passed through Cal's crimson gaze, guilt wracking her heart again.

“I-I’m sorry. You know what I mean. Ugh!”

She turned and kicked her chair.

“This is so irritating!”

Cal reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. I know you claim to not like the idea of families, but once upon a time, you wished wholeheartedly that your old one would find you. I know that wish didn’t just disappear, no matter how many times you say it has.”

“I can’t immediately accept them as family!” She spat. “You know that! I can’t just go along with the first person who claims it!”

“That’s why you need to speak,” Cal told her. “Find them and tell them your story. Tell them the truth.”

“I don’t want to! What’s the point now anyways? They’re probably long gone by now.”

“Glimmer said that as soon as they found out you were living, they went looking for you,” he pointed out. “So I highly doubt they’ve disappeared.”

“Gah! Well I’m not ready!”

“I know,” Cal spoke comfortingly. “I know you’re not, but you have to be. Listen, it’s no secret that you’re not a fan of living here. I know you prefer the surface more than being underground.”

He wasn't wrong about that. Zip took some comfort in living within Briar Glen, but in her heart, she wanted to be elsewhere. She didn't know where that place was, but she knew it was out there somewhere.

“If you go with them, you’ll be able to get out of here. You’ll get to see the world, and you’ll reunite with a family that cares about you.”

“I don’t see how they could still care,” Zip said back. “Even if I did meet their qualifications, I’m sure not the girl they remember.”

Cal shook his head.

“I believe they care whether you like it or not. Look, I’m not saying that you need to make some final decision right now. You need more information before doing that, but that’s why talking to them is your best bet. Just try Zip. Try. What's the worst that can happen?"

She turned and began pacing the room in a huffed manner. She had an answer to this question, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. The fear she carried was so deeply rooted that she could barely admit the reasoning behind it to herself let alone to Cal.

“ _If you don’t do something though, he’ll never leave you alone. You know that._ ”

Even though they weren't blood-related, Cal had always cared about her, and the one thing he always said was that if anyone ever came along claiming to be her family, he would do everything he could to reunite them. She knew he wouldn’t let this go.

“ _And you want to know, too. You want answers about your past, you just…_ ”

Her hand clenched over her heart. There was so much confusion, yearning, and pain swimming inside. It was overwhelming to handle.

"Dammit! Look. I refuse to go anywhere with them until I have the answers I’m looking for. Glimmer assumes we’re related, but I want actual proof. I need it. I’ll go and talk to her, okay? I’ll do it, but if I’m not convinced, then I never want to see them again, and you will not get in my way of staying here. Do I make myself clear?”

Cal sighed and shook his head.

“You’re so stubborn. I’ll accept these terms for now because of your situation, but you really need to try Zip. Tell them your secret and learn what you can.”

“Whatever, just give me a few hours and I’ll go find them.”

Cal stood and hugged her once more.

“Good. I’m sorry for pushing, but I just care. I want you happy and where you belong. You deserve it, even if you don’t think you do. See them soon, Zip.”

After that, he left her to her thoughts. Whatever pissed off gaze she sported dropped the moment she was alone. Walking to her desk, she pulled out her pendant and held it in her hand. She was scared, astonishingly scared, and beyond confused. It was hard to accept the situation when she had nothing in her mind to go on. She wanted the truth, she did, but what if the truth broke her heart? What if it brought more heartache in the future?

“ _Cal’s right. I have to try something. I know there’s a tug between her and I, but it’s not enough. I need more._

She slipped the necklace into her pocket.

“ _I have to be sure, or everything that follows will be meaningless.”_

* * *

Zip had to build up a lot of courage before she could step outside again. Camilla didn't make it easy either as she kept purposely getting in the way all while putting her down. Why the woman hated her was something she had never figured out. Thankfully, Cal had been there to shut Camilla up, allowing Zip to leave. She chose the back way this time, however, just in case Glimmer and the squad were still waiting by the entrance.

After walking up the stairs she exited the tree, climbing over a few of the enlarged roots that surrounded it.

“ _The possibility of them being there is slim. I'll most likely have to expand my search. How inconvenient._ ”

As she rounded closer to the front, she wondered what she'd say when she found them.

 _"I mean, what do you say in this situation? I wouldn't know where to start. I just hope they don't-_ “

Before she could finish that thought, she gasped and took a few steps back before slowly peeking around the trunk. There, right where she had left them, was the crew.

“ _Seriously? What did they do, sleep there?”_

“Hey Glimmer, come here. It’s going to be okay.”

Zip's mind quieted as she watched Bow comfort the sitting girl. Those red, puffy eyes told her she had been crying.

"How do you know that?" Glimmer asked. "There's no way to get back inside unless someone lets us in."

“I’m sure she’ll come back up.” Bow held her tight. “I mean, she’s got to.”

“She’ll will for sure,” Adora told her. “She’s your sister, isn’t she?”

Glimmer nodded.

“I’d know that face anywhere, and you guys saw her powers. They’re just like I said! I just don’t understand why she lied to us the entire time.”

Glimmer sniffled and rubbed her eyes.

“Why’d she do that, and why did she run away when I called for her. She knows who I am!”

Zip took a few steps back as she listened, her confidence beginning to wane. There was a part of her that felt bad, but another part that felt doubtful and unsure.

“ _I don’t know if I can do this now,_ ” she thought as her heart raced. “ _I can’t-_ “

“Do you often like to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations?”

“Nyaa!”

Zip let out an uncharacteristic squeak when a voice came from behind, forcing her from her hiding spot. Swinging around, she found Catra standing there, her tail swinging carelessly.

“It’s about time you showed up,” Catra continued. “Everyone’s been waiting for your slow self.”

Zip turned again and tried to run, but stopped in her tracks when she found that Glimmer had moved and was now a few feet from her.

“Rose.”

The girl froze when she heard the name again. It was filled with the same recognition she’d heard the day before.

“Rose, it’s okay. It’s me!”

Zip still said nothing, provoking Glimmer to take a step forward.

“Rose please, I – ahh!”

Out of fear, Zip sent Glimmer flying back, the princess hitting the ground.

“Hey!” Adora called a little angrily. “Take it easy! You could hurt her!”

Adora walked towards Zip now, but then stopped abruptly as if she had walked into something invisible.

“What in the- what is this?”

Catra reached out and poked at the air, her hand only able to go so far.

“Hmm. Interesting.”

“I think it’s a force field of some kind,” Bow suggested as he felt around. “She can move things with her mind, right? She must be able to make some kind of shield with that energy, too. Wait, wasn’t Rose able to do that as a kid as well?”

Glimmer nodded as she stood back up.

“She did, but she never used it to keep us away unless she was playing around. Rose, why are you doing this?”

Zip finally spoke.

“Stop calling me that!”

“It is your name, isn’t it?” Adora asked.

“It’s one I stopped going by a long time ago. I stopped wanting to hear it then and I don’t want to hear it now.”

“But Rose- “

“I said stop!” She cut off Glimmer before the sentence could be finished. “Listen to me very carefully. I came here to talk, but if you keep calling me by that name, I’ll go back inside and never come out. Got it?”

The squad looked on with both worry and frustration, but Zip was adamant about her choice. Constantly being called Rose bothered her too much.

"Okay," Adora told her. "We won't, but calm down. Don't throw anyone else."

The child allowed herself to ease up just a bit, but she refused to let her shield disappear.

“Zip,” Glimmer spoke again. “Why are you pushing away?”

The girl didn’t speak. She wasn’t sure how to respond.

“We’ve been looking for you. We’ve come to take you home.”

Zip shook her head, prompting another response from the desperate female.

“Yes, we have! Look, mom and I never meant to stop searching. We thought you were dead!”

“I…I c-can’t do it,” Zip muttered out. She was starting to feel more scared.

"Of course you can!" Adora told her. "She's your sister, and both she and your mom want you back!"

“Stop.”

“No,” Bow said. “It’s okay to be upset, but you have to believe Glimmer. Everyone thought you had perished.”

“Stop!”

“Ugh, you’re being a baby about this,” Catra told her. “Just drop your shield so we can get going already.”  
“Please, Zip,” Glimmer begged. “Come back.”

“I said stop!”

Zip snapped at the constant pleading she was subjected to.

“But why?” Glimmer asked. “Why should we stop?”

“I don’t want to hear it. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said back.

“Of course I do! You’re my sister, I’d know you anywhere! Please, remember how close we were?”

Zip’s heart clenched.

“Remember the fun we used to have? Remember mom?”

"That's the problem!" She screamed, tears burning her eyes. "I don't remember! I don't remember anything about my past, so shut up!"

The truth spilled out in overloading panic and anger. This was why she couldn’t stand hearing her name with such recognition. This was why she couldn't handle that natural, family-like tug she felt when she was around Glimmer. She had all of these exceedingly overwhelming familiar feelings, but had no idea why.

“Stop telling me to remember things when I don’t even know who I am!”

Everyone went silent after that outburst, each person looking at her with a mix of confusion and shock.

“You don’t remember anything?” Glimmer’s voice cracked. “You don’t remember me, or mom, or anything about home?”

Zip sighed and backed against the tree, her arms folded over her chest. This was the one most frustrating thing about her life. Her memory only went so far back. She didn’t know anything about herself or where she came from. It’s why she never felt like she belonged.

“Hey, talk to us.” Glimmer stood as close as she could to the shield, the others following suit. “Why can’t you remember anything?”

Zip rubbed the bridge of her nose. The timid part of her wanted to say nothing, but the curious part wanted answers. The curious part wanted to know where all the feelings of familiarity came from.

“I’m only doing this because Cal will never leave me alone unless I do,” she half lied. “And I’m only going to say this once, so you better listen.”

Her eyes fell to the ground as she recalled her earliest memories.

"As you know, five years ago a Horde ship crashed into this forest. No one knows how or why, and the only thing found on that ship was a dead pilot. However, on the same day, I was found here by this tree, unconscious. I had suffered from a head wound and a few other things. Cal's and Camilla's mother was the one who found me. She was a hunter, and she brought me inside to safety. I was told that when I came to, I wouldn't talk. A whole week passed before I said my first word. That word was my real name, Rose. A week later I was able to remember my birthday. After that, I couldn’t recall anything prior to the night I was found. Everything before that moment is just a blur of darkness.”

Zip felt her heart ache as she told that story. She had always felt out of place in Briar Glen, even with the occasional kindness. She stayed because she had no place else to go, but even as a child she knew something wasn’t right. She had always found herself yearning and missing something she couldn’t remember.

“Five years ago,” Glimmer murmured. “Were you six when it happened?”

She nodded.

“Which would make you eleven now,” Catra confirmed. Zip watched as the four all looked at each other.

“That must have been so hard on you,” Bow said sadly. “Being raised in a place where you knew no one, and then not being able to remember where you came from.”

She shrugged.

"It was whatever. There wasn't anything I could do. I was taken in by Cal's mom for good once I recovered, but she died a year later in an accident while hunting. Cal took care of me after that while Camilla wanted nothing to do with me. He used to tell me that my family would come for me someday, and I believed him, but the longer I was down there, the more I realized I'd never be found. Eventually, I concluded that I was merely abandoned, that I was unwanted and unloved by the ones who had me before. I became bitter and swore off families all together. I still don't believe in them."

Zip clenched her fists as she remembered the day she told Cal she never wanted to have a family again. She and Camilla had just gotten into an argument, and sometime during it, the sister screamed that she was an unwanted urchin who was worth nothing. She was told that her real family would never come because she was never loved in the first place, that she was purposely abandoned because she was too much of a pain. Zip had tried to ignore those words, but Camilla's speech only echoed what she had already started to feel. Hearing it said to her face fueled her already growing doubts. Cal tried to calm her down after Camilla left, but she wouldn't listen. She was too hurt, and too tired to keep believing. Although Cal was right when he said that she still held some small flicker of hope despite her hate for family, but that hope was so far buried under pain and doubt that it hardly ever surfaced.

“Zip, you have to listen to me.” Glimmer’s voice shook, her eyes full of tears. “You weren’t unloved or unwanted. You still aren’t. You have a home and a family who wants you back. You belong with us.”

“Take it from me, kid,” Catra added. “Don’t let the words of some bitter woman demean your self-worth. Ever since Sparkles here figured out you were alive, you’re all she ever talks about. It’s always Rose this and Rose that. It’s kind of irritating, but I can’t blame her. I can safely tell you that Camilla is a grade A ass and that you’re more than wanted by your family.”

“I know what it’s like to feel out of place, too” Adora spoke. “I know how uncomfortable and scary it is, but those feelings are so much easier to deal with when you have people around who care.”

“And we super care!” Bow exclaimed as he threw his arm around Glimmer. “You’ve got us to help you through this, and I know your mom will help you, too.”

Zip shuffled uncomfortably in her spot. She surprisingly found the words comforting. They tugged at the heartstrings that still wished for a home.

“ _They want you, and you have a mother waiting for you, too. You’ve always wanted a mother._ ”

The idea of finally being where she belonged seemed so perfect, and yet it was too perfect. It was too good to be true. There was no way that life would get so easy for her. There were still many things she was uncertain of, many things she feared.

“Are you guys honestly that dense?”

The four of them seemed confused at her words.

“What are you- “

"You think I'm going to willingly believe what you're saying?" Zip eyed Glimmer as she spoke. "Did you not hear a word I said? I don't remember my past, so what makes you think I can follow you blindly? Where’s the proof that I’m actually your si- “

She cut herself off before finishing that word.

“Where’s the proof that we’re related?”

“What do you mean proof?” Glimmer asked. “Look at us! We have the same eye color and hair color.”

"So? I'm sure other people in this world share these traits. For all I know, you could be out to hurt me."

“We’re not though!” Glimmer insisted. “We’ve been telling the truth. You’re my sister and we’ve been searching for you to bring you home!”

Zip wanted to believe in those words, but wouldn’t allow herself to fall for them so easily.

“Prove it then! Prove that you’re family!”

“Ugh! I don’t have any physical proof to show you, but if you come back with me to Bright Moon, then you’ll see, especially when you meet mom. You look just like her!”

“I can’t go with you unless you prove it to me now!”

“Zip! Stop being so hard-headed.”

All five of them turned to see both Saber and Cal coming from behind the tree.

“They’re trying to help you,” Cal continued. “Not hurt you.”

“Were you two listening this whole- oomph!”

Cal tossed over what looked to be a brand new backpack. Inside it she found her belongings, a few drinks, and some snacks.

"What, were you planning to kick me out?" Zip asked with frustration.

“No one is kicking you out,” Saber replied. “Not for good anyways. You are to travel back with them and learn more about your past.”

“And if I don’t want to?”

“You must,” Saber said back.

“I don’t need to do anything! Cal, I told you that if they didn’t have proof, then I’d come back inside and never leave again.”

“You’re not giving them a chance to give you any,” he told her as he walked closer. She allowed her shield down for this. When he was close enough, he placed his hand on her head. “If proof is within Bright Moon, then that’s where you should go.”

“What if I travel all that way for nothing? What if they’re wrong?”

“Then you’ll at least know your answer,” Saber answered. “Go with them, Zip, or you’ll end up living with regrets.”

The girl scowled at both adults. She clearly wasn’t being given a choice. She then rounded on the squad with a heated gaze.

"You listen, and you listen well. I'll go with you, but once we're there, you have twenty-four hours to prove to me that Bright Moon is my home. If you fail to do so, then I leave, and you will never bother me again. Do you understand?"

The four looked at each other as if wondering what to do. It was Catra who answered.

"Fine then, Zippy. We'll agree to those terms, but you need to agree to ours. If we prove to you that you belong with the queen and Glimmer, then you need to stay in Bright Moon for good. No running away, no trying to escape, nothing. You're to stay and be with your family."

Zip made no reply, unsure of what to say.

“Agree to it,” Saber called. “It’s only fair.”

She growled in reply.

“Fine. You have a deal.”

Glimmer breathed a sigh of relief.

“Okay. We should head back now then. I want to get home as soon as possible.”

Zip reluctantly threw her backpack on before looking back at Saber and Cal. It was Cal who was smiling, his eyes glazed up with tears.

“Promise to try, Zip. You’ll always have a place to go here, but you need to learn about your past. You need your real family. Promise you’ll give it your all?”

The girl looked away. She wouldn't show it, but she would secretly miss him. She'd miss both Saber and Cal.

At her silent reply, he ruffled her hair with a smile.

“Go on then, and guys? Please take care of her.”

“We will,” Bow replied. “You won’t have to worry about anything. Come on, Zip. I promise everything’s going to go just fine.”

Zip's heart felt hesitant, lost, and heavy. She had no idea what to expect, but she had no choice but to find out, and with one final look at the only home she ever knew, she turned and walked away.

* * *

“So she has no memory?” Bow asked. “About anything? I never even thought that was a possibility.”

"Me either," Adora replied. "That has to be rough on her. I can't blame her for being so off-putting though. If I were in her situation and someone approached me with claims of being related, I'd be hesitant, too."

"I still can't believe we went hunting for clues and came back with her," Catra yawned. "That was unexpected. Ugh, I hate that we're walking all the way back to the ship. It'd be so much easier for Glimmer to teleport us."

“She offered to, but Zip won’t have it,” Adora answered. “She doesn’t trust anyone.”

“We could just do it without her consent,” Catra suggested. “I mean, at least we’ll move quicker.”

“True, but we want to show her that she can trust us without any issues," Bow replied. "If we can get her to do that, then she might be more open."

Even though Zip was walking a little behind, she could hear everything they were saying. She wanted to argue, but she didn’t have it in her. Using the shield for so long earlier had left her weakened.

“Zip? Are you all right?”

Much to her dismay, Glimmer was by her side. She so desperately wanted to bring back up her shield, but she hardly had any energy left.

“I’m fine.”

She could feel Glimmer’s eyes on her, and when the princess spoke again, there was a hint of surprise in her voice.

“Wait a minute, you’re tired. I can see it, but it’s a different kind of tired. You feel drained for using your powers both yesterday and today, aren’t you?”

“Ugh!” Zip groaned. “Get out of my head!”

“You have to be careful!” Glimmer worried. “Until you can recharge, you need to take it easy!”

“It takes me days to recharge.”

“It won’t if you use the Moon Stone. I used to have to recharge, too, so I know how you feel. If you let me teleport everyone, then we can- “

“Woah, chill out for a second,” she told the babbling female. “The moon what? And no, I said no teleporting. I don’t trust you yet.”

"The Moon Stone. It's the runestone that my mother and I are connected to. As a princess of Bright Moon, you're connected to it, too."

“Oh jeeze, please don’t use that term in reference to me ever again. I am not some sparkly little blah.”

“You are a princess, though!” Glimmer told her. “You were born one. Come on, let’s just teleport and- “

"What part of no do you not comprehend?" Zip shouted. "I don't want to teleport!"

"Hey, is everything okay back there?" Adora asked.

“It’s fine!” Zip didn’t feel like arguing. “Let’s just keep moving.”

“Well,” Catra said as she slinked behind Adora. “If you’d let Glimmer teleport everyone…”

“I swear, if someone says the word teleport one more time, I’m gonna- “

_Snap!_

The five of them came to a standstill.

“Did you guys hear something?” Glimmer asked.

_Snap!_

The sound came again, and it was instantly followed by the sound of something moving.

“Oh no,” Bow have squealed. “It’s not one of those Giga Worms again, is it?”

Catra’s ears twitched as she sniffed the air.

“I don’t know, but something doesn’t smell right.”

Zip eyed the forest carefully. That’s when she saw something move right behind Glimmer.

“Get down!”

Zip tackled Glimmer to the ground right as the head of a giant grey snake came flying out from some bushes.

“What the heck is that?” Adora asked.

“Venom Snakes! They’re incredibly deadly! Ahh!”

The snake shot in her direction, but she managed to hold it still with her gift.

“We need to run! These are not beasts you want to fight! Watch out! There’s more!”

Right as she said that, two more came popping out of the forest. Catra and Adora dodged one as Bow shot arrows at the other.

“Bow!”

Glimmer went after her boyfriend and shot her magic at the beast.

“I said don’t fight them!” Zip yelled. “Just run!”

The snake she held back tried snapping its head to bite at her again, but her magic kept it at bay.

“Ahh!”

She cursed the situation. She didn’t have any power left to keep going.

“Come on, guys!” Glimmered called. “We’re getting out of here!”

Zip watched as Glimmer teleported around to reach everyone. It was a good thing too because it was right when Glimmer reached her did she lose her hold on the snake. When the world became clear again, she found herself near a ship she had never seen before.

“Is everyone okay?” Bow asked.

“I am,” Adora answered. “Catra?”

“I didn’t die, so I guess I’m good.”

“I’m all right, too,” Glimmer told them. “That was kind of close. Zip?”

The eleven-year-old stood up with a wobble.

“Zip!”

Glimmer ran over and held her steady. The girl fought back though and pushed her aside.

“Get off of me you idiot! I don’t need your – nnnn.”

The world began to spin and Zip found herself on the ground again.

“Zip!”

She looked up when her name was called, and Glimmer's panic-stricken face was the last thing she saw before everything went black.


	5. Chapter Five: Moon Stone, Mirrors, and Mothers, Oh My!

Chapter Five: Moon Stone, Mirrors, and Mothers, Oh My!

“She’s gonna be so pissed when she wakes up.”

A grinning Catra stood between Adora and Glimmer, the three of them watching over Zip within the Moon Stone chamber.

“I don’t see why she would be,” Adora replied. “We had no choice but to teleport. She fainted on us.”

“I wasn’t talking about that.” Catra poked the knocked out girl on the forehead. “I mean, yeah she might get a little angry over the teleporting, but as soon as she learns that she actually glowed when she started to recharge, she’ll throw a fit! You know, because she’s all ‘I’m not princessy or cute blah blah blah’. It’s gonna be great.”

“You would find that amusing.” Adora shook her head before looking over at Glimmer. There was a worried stare on her friend’s face.

“Hey, she’ll be all right. You used to always feel better after a recharge, so she will, too!”

Glimmer sat next to her sister, only partially comforted by Adora’s words.

"I hope so. I was a little worried she might have lost all connection to the stone, but it seems her body is taking to it well. Oh man, mom's gonna freak when she sees this.”

“In a good way though,” Adora promised. “There’s no way she’d be upset.”

"Oh I know that, but like us, she was only expecting some clues. Not her actual daughter."

“If anyone’s gonna flip a lid, it’s Zip.” Catra slunk down and laid on the floor. “She’ll take one look at the queen and lose it.”

“She might not,” Adora told her. “Especially since she can’t remember.”

“Oh please, did you see the way she reacted when Glimmer called her Rose?” Catra asked. “She didn’t like it at all, and I’ve seen how Zip gets when Glimmer’s nearby. She’s harsher to her more than she is to the rest of us, and Sparkles is just the sister. Imagine how she’ll be when she faces the woman who gave birth to her.”

The three sat in silence, the truth of that statement ringing in Glimmer's ears. When she first learned that Rose was still alive, she dreamt up a million scenarios on how the reunification would be. They were always so heartfelt and tearful, and she had pictured the two of them and her mom joyously reliving old memories while making new ones. The last thing she expected was to find her sister without her memories. She didn’t plan for that, and with the girl being so hard to get through to, Glimmer had no clue on how to proceed moving forward.

“Hey, don’t look so glum.”

Glimmer glanced up at Catra as she spoke.

“I’m not being negative, I’m just being realistic. Zip’s probably gonna have some issues, but I’m sure she’ll get over them with time.”

“So you don’t think she hates me?” Glimmer asked.

Adora shook her head.

“No way. I don’t think she hates anyone. She’s just scared, and can we blame her? She’s been pulled from the only home she knew and into another one full of people who can remember her from a young age while she can’t remember anything. Add that with the fact that she’s not a fan of families and you’ve got one confused kid. Give her some time and I'm sure she'll ease up with both you and the queen. Speaking of your mom, shouldn't Bow be back by now?"

As if on cue, the archer came jogging up the stairs to the chamber.

“Sorry! I’m here!”

“Bow!”

Glimmer ran up and hugged him tightly.

“There you are. Were you able to find my mom?”

“Well, kind of? She’s not here in the kingdom, but I do know where she is.”

“What?” Glimmer exclaimed. “Where is she?”

“The guards told me that she left for Mystacor this morning to visit your Aunt. She should be back later tonight though.”

“Ugh! Of all the days for my mom to be gone!”

“Why don’t we go and get her?” Adora suggested.

Glimmer pondered the thought and almost agreed, but then thought better of it.

“No, not yet. Maybe this is a good thing. If Zip can wake up before then, she’ll have a chance to get acquainted with her surroundings, which means she might better handle meeting mom when she comes home.”

“Eh, kind of a long shot,” Catra said. “I still think she’s gonna freak out. Ouch!”

Adora slightly kicked Catra on the leg before comforting Glimmer.

“I think that’s a good plan. Let’s wait till she wakes up and then slowly introduce her to everything.”

Glimmer nodded.

“Okay. I’ll stay with her. You guys don’t have to if you need to do other things.”

“Nah, we’ll stay,” Bow smiled. “We don’t mind.”

Catra yawned and curled up on her side.

“It’s whatever. I need a nap anyways. Adora, come be my pillow.”

Adora rolled her eyes, but then walked over to her girlfriend with a smile.

“You’re so weird.”

Glimmer beamed thankfully at her friends. Hopefully, she was making the right choice. The sudden pressure of being a good sister had been growing from the moment the girl was found and she wanted to make sure that Zip’s first day back ran as smoothly as possible.

“ _I hope I'm not terrible at this. I promise I'll be the best big sister to you. I just hope this works.”_

* * *

“Nnn…”

Zip slowly began to come to, the brightness of the room forcing her to squint.

“ _What happened?_ ”

With a small grumble, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

“ _Did I fall asleep? No, ugh, I fainted._ ”

She groaned as the memories of the fight came flooding back.

“ _Great. They saw me like this. I’ll never hear the end of it. Huh?_ ”

It was then she noticed that she wasn’t alone. Catra and Adora were beside her. Adora had her back against the platform Zip had been planted on while Catra was snoozing in the woman’s lap. Not too far from them was Bow. He was standing against the wall, little snores slipping from his mouth.

“Zip?”

She gasped and turned to find another standing on her other side.

“Glimmer?”

“Hey,” she said with a smile. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

“How long have I been out?”

“Just a few hours,” she answered. “Seems you used up a lot of magic. How do you feel?”

Zip swung her legs around the platform and stretched.

“Actually, I feel pretty good. Better than good to be honest.”

She couldn't remember the last time she felt this energized. Usually, it took her forever to recover after working so much magic. That's why she never often used it unless needed.

“I could probably take all three of those Venom Snakes now.”

Glimmer chuckled slightly at the comment.

“Perhaps you could, but thankfully we don’t have to find out. I’m glad you’re feeling better though. I was worried you wouldn’t take to the stone, but you connected to it easily.”

“What?” Zip was puzzled. “Stone?”

“Yes, the Moon Stone,” Glimmer replied. “Remember how I said you’d be able to recharge with it?”

Zip thought back to the conversation. She did remember hearing about it, but she could have sworn that the stone was on Bright Moon.

“ _Wait a second._ ”

She shot her gaze around the unfamiliar room once more, her eyes growing wide as her senses fully kicked it. She was not in the Frightening Wilds anymore.

“K-Kyaaaaaaaa!”

“Woah!” Catra shot awake from the sudden scream. “Who are we killing?”

She then blinked when she found the child standing on the table.

“Good grief, do you have to be so loud kid?”

“What the heck am I doing here?”

The other two had woken at this point.

“What do you mean what are you doing here?” Catra asked. “You knew we were bringing you back to Bright Moon.”

“I know that!” Zip shouted. “I mean how did we get here so damn quickly? Were we that close?”

“No, Glimmer teleported us back.” Bow answered.

“What?! I told you no teleporting!”

“You fainted!” Adora shouted. “We needed to get you back right away!”

“Grawr!”

Zip tugged at her hair in frustration. She was well aware that she was coming here but assumed she'd have the travel time to prepare for her arrival.

“ _No, instead you had to go and faint, and now you're here. Way to go._ ”

“Calm down, Zip,” Glimmer tried to say comfortingly. “I’m sorry we had to teleport, but I needed you safe. You’re okay now.”

“Grr, whatever! I’m leaving.”

“Uh, no you’re not.”

Catra stood in front of her.

“You promised to stay if we proved you belonged here.”

“Yeah, well I don’t see any proof so I’m out of here.”

“You gave us twenty-four hours," Catra objected. "Not to mention you just woke up, so of course you haven't seen anything yet, but we did."

Zip saw a smirk curl onto the cat woman’s face, uncertainty now filling her.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Catra,” Glimmer cut in. “Maybe we shouldn’t- “

“You glowed, little girl,” Catra continued. “As soon as Glimmer put you there to recharge, you glowed pink.”

“So much for introducing things to her slowly,” Adora muttered.

Zip’s eyes widened at the news.

“I what? You’re lying!”

“Am I? Oh no, little Zippy. You glowed nice and pink and it was all sorts of cute!” Catra teased.

“Shut it!”

"Still think I'm wrong? Well, I've got some more proof for you."

The woman pointed to Zip’s hair.

“Not only do we have Sparkles, but now we have Sparkles Jr.”

Zips eyes grew wider, her hands instantly touching her hair.

“ _It can’t be._ ”

She then jumped off the table and pulled Glimmer towards her before speaking in a dangerous tone.

“Get me to a mirror. _Now._ ”

Glimmer groaned and grabbed Zip by the wrist. She then moved the child towards the other three before teleporting out, the five of them now facing new scenery.

“This is my room,” Glimmer told her. “The mirror’s right there.”

Zip threw herself in front of it and examined herself closely. When she saw what she was looking for, her left eye began to twitch.

Catra smirked once more.

“Three, two, one.”

“Nyaaaaaaa!”

Zip’s scream shrilled through the room.

"No!"

She rounded onto Glimmer in a craze.

“What have you done? My hair!”

"I didn't do anything!" Glimmer told her in an attempt to calm the child down. "That's how your hair used to look when you were younger! It probably hasn't done it since then because you haven't connected to the stone in years."

“Liar! You broke me! Oh god, I look terrible.”

"I think you look adorable!" Catra teased again. "Awww, little Rosey has hair that sparkles just like her big sister!"

“I’ll kill you!”

“Guys!”

Adora stepped in front of Catra and shot her girl a discontented glare.

"Really? You're supposed to be the adult here!"

Catra waved her off.

"Chill out, I'm just messing with her. Better she finds out now anyways rather than find out later."

Zip returned to the mirror and moaned. She was not liking this new glittery look.

“There’s no need to be upset.”

Glimmer walked over to where she was standing.

"If anything, this is good! It shows that you're the princess and my little sister."

Zip glanced over at the other, Glimmer sharing a warm smile in return.

“Not falling for it.”

“Huh?” Glimmer asked.

“I said I’m not falling for it!”

Zip stepped back from the mirror and turned away from everyone.

“I don’t believe you. This doesn’t count as proof.”

“What?” Catra asked. “Are you blind? You’re literally sparkling! In your words, how much more princessy can you get?”

Zip’s eye twitched again.

“Are you mocking me?”

“Okay!”

Bow waved his hands and stepped in between everyone with a meek little grin. He then placed his hand on Zip’s shoulder.

“Look, if you don’t think this is enough proof, why don’t we show you something else?”

The child raised a brow.

“I don’t think you have anything that’ll make me think otherwise.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” he shrugged, his smile friendly. “But it can’t hurt to try, right?”

Zip scrunched up her face in annoyance. She knew she was being ridiculous. It was obvious that they were in the right, but she wasn’t ready to accept it yet. She wasn’t ready to take the truth.

“Fool.”

She pushed his hand away.

“Fine. I’ll go along just to humor you, but remember, if you can’t get me proper proof, I’m out of here.”

Bow sighed with relief before looking over at Glimmer.

“Where should we show her next?”

Glimmer looked on a little saddened, but then toughened her gaze and thought.

“I’m not sure. Um…”

"Maybe we should bring her somewhere she might know," Adora suggested. "You know, like a place she was real intimate with as a kid. I know she can't remember, but maybe she’ll see something that’ll trigger her memory?”

Glimmer’s eyes sparkled as an idea hit her.

“That’s perfect Adora! I know a place!”

She then grabbed everyone and teleported into another room. Once there, Zip looked around, clearly unimpressed.

“And this is?”

“Your room,” Glimmer answered. “This was your room when you lived here.”

Whatever grumpy face she held fell when she heard this answer.

“ _My room?_ ”

Zip peered at her surroundings with awe. It wasn’t too different from Glimmer's. It had a tub, a waterfall, a desk, a dresser, and so many other things a typical bedroom held. It even had a circular bed like Glimmer’s, except this one was on the floor and it was filled with a multitude of stuffed animals.

“This was mine? Really?”

She walked over to the window and peeked outside, a forest staring back at her. It reminded her a little of the Frightening Wilds.

"Mhm." Glimmer joined her by the window. "We used to play in here a lot, and we'd have sleepovers, too. We'd alternate where to sleep, but you mostly wanted me in here with you because you liked nesting with your animals."

Glimmer giggled at the thought.

"Our favorite place to sleep though was in mom's room. We'd always beg to have sleepovers in there, and we'd have so much fun when she'd let us."

Zip walked over to the bed in a small daze, her senses breathing in the familiarity. She knew this place. Her mind couldn’t place how as it couldn’t recall a moment in her life where she had been in here, but it was recognizable nonetheless.

When she reached the bed, her hand gently caressed the many different animals, each soft and comforting to the touch.

"Mom used to think you were crazy for sleeping with all of those, but she never had the heart to say no because they made you so happy. Your favorite one isn't there, though."

Zip looked up to find Glimmer staring back sadly.

“What?”

“You had a favorite stuffed animal you carried around all the time. It was this purple Sky Rabbit, something mom gave you when you were born. The last time I saw it was the night you were…”

Zip furrowed her brows as her head spun.

“ _A Sky Rabbit. A purple stuffed Sky Rabbit. Rabby?”_

All of a sudden, the image of the described item popped into her mind, but it was all muddied up and had a single tear on one of the ears.

“Zip?”

“Ahh!”

The girl took a step back as a sharp pain shot through her head.

“Zip! Are you okay?”

Glimmer and the gang ran over to her.

“ _What just happened?”_

She rubbed her temple and glanced at the worried faces staring back at her. That’s when a pang of fear hit, and because she hated sporting any type of weakness, she returned their gazes with a scowl.

“I’m fine! Stop looking at me like that! Hmph. This place tells me nothing. It’s just a stupid room.”

"You mean nothing seems familiar?" Adora asked.

“Nope. Your little idea failed.”

“We’ll have to try another place,” said Bow. “There’s got to be something.”

“There already is something,” Catra groaned. “She connected with the Moon Stone. She’s gonna have to deal with the fact that her glowing and sparkling is proof enough!”

Zip ignored the comments and walked over to the white desk. She poked at and opened a few of the different drawers until she came to one that wouldn't budge. She scanned it to see if it was locked, but there was no keyhole. It was simply stuck.

“ _Come on, you_ ,” she thought as she tugged at it, but nothing was making it move. “ _Open dammit!”_

Not wanting to be bettered by a drawer, she tapped the top of the desk twice and then the side of it once with her fist. Instantly it opened.

“Ha! Take that you stupid thing.”

“There!”

Glimmer ran over with excited eyes.

“That’s it! That’s the proof!”

Zip stared with skepticism.

“An open drawer?”

“No silly, the way you opened it!” Glimmer’s smile grew. “That was a secret between you and me. It’s where we hid our favorite things! Your mind might not remember it, but your instincts did!”

Zip looked down at the drawer as heat flared in her cheeks, half out of anger and half out of embarrassment of being caught. She couldn’t help but wonder though at how she did know what to do.

“ _It just came naturally. I don’t know what made me. It just felt right._ ”

When she saw that Glimmer was still looking at her all bright-eyed, she scoffed and turned away.

“That proved nothing! It was a lucky guess. I mean, I’m sure anyone can open that, so it doesn’t count.”

“But- “

“I said it doesn’t count! Just give up already."

Zip didn’t know how to do anything but be hard-headed, even when she was wrong.

“Give up?”

Zip turned to find an angry and hurt Glimmer.

“No, I did that once because I thought you were dead. I’m never gonna give up now that you’re here. You are my sister.”

"No, I'm not!"

“We’ve proved it to you twice! Plus, you can move things with your mind! The same magic you had as a kid!”

“Magic, sparkly hair, and an open drawer does not a sister make!”

“Ugh! You’re so infuriating!”

Glimmer grimaced with aggravation, pacing around the room.

“So damn stubborn. Bah! Screw it! Bow! Adora! Catra! Watch her!”

“Wait!” Bow called. “Where are you- “

Before he could finish, Glimmer teleported out.

“Going.”

Bow sighed and rubbed his head.

“This is not going as planned.”

“That’s cause Zippy over here is being a pain,” Catra said.

“You’re the pain,” Zip countered. “It’s not my fault you can’t show me proper proof.”

“We have though,” Adora said back. "You just keep coming up with excuses at why our examples are wrong. Stop trying to push people away. We're only trying to help you."

Zip kicked a nearby cushion chair before spinning in their direction.

“I never asked for your damn help in the first place. In case you forgot, Cal and Saber forced me to come here. They weren’t gonna let me back in until I checked this place out, and guess what? I see nothing!”

“Your hair!” Catra yelled. “Your glowing! And the drawer!”

“I didn’t see myself glow so that information is useless! As for my hair, blame Glimmer. She probably did something to it. You guys probably rigged the drawer, too!”

She knew she was sounding more foolish by the minute, but she was too scared to think otherwise.

“Everything I saw means nothing. This place means nothing. And you-“

_Slam!_

Right in the middle of Zip’s sentence, the bedroom door flew open, a still upset Glimmer at the entrance.

“You’re wrong! You belong here, and if you won’t believe anything else you saw, then believe this!”

“Glimmer? What is the meaning of this? I was in the middle of talking to your Aunt and- "

The adult woman who was speaking came to a standstill when her eyes fell on Zip, the girl frozen as well.

“ _No,”_ Zip thought, her breathing nearly stopping. _“No. This isn’t possible._ ”

From the moment she laid eyes on the new visitor, her heart shook. It swelled a thousand times over with warmed up feelings that screamed familiarity, comfort, and love.

“ _Love? How can I feel love? I don’t know her!”_

Zip told herself that the visitor was both nothing and no one important, but something inside knew this woman. Something inside knew who she was.

“ _I look like her, too. Hair, eyes, skin…we even have similarities in the face._ ”

Zip watched as the woman's eyes widened with brimmed tears. She was just as shocked as Zip was, maybe even more so.

“Is this real?” The newcomer’s voice wavered. “Rose?”

“She’s real, mom,” Glimmer answered softly. “It’s her. She’s home.”

“ _Mother._ ”

If looking at the familiar stranger wasn’t enough to make her chest flare, then hearing her name spoken did the trick. The voice was like honey. It carried a sweetness that reached areas of her heart she never thought could be touched again.

“Rose.”

Zip could feel tears forming in her eyes as the woman walked closer. There was a part of her that felt a desperate need to run into those arms, a part of her that yearned for an embrace. Every inch of her begged and pleaded to fall into the pure comfort that was emanating from the other, but the fear that plagued her and the confusion in her mind made her too frightened to do so.

“Rose, my- “

“No.”

She watched as the woman abruptly stopped in her tracks, a puzzled look on her face.

“What?”

“I-I said no. Stay back.”

“But Rose, it’s me, your m- “

"Stay away from me!"

Before more could be said, Zip pushed past everyone and jetted out the door.

“Rose! Rose wait!”

She ignored the calls and sped down the halls, running into the first room she saw and slamming the door. She then locked it and threw her hand up, using her ability to shut it tighter.

“ _This isn’t happening._ ”

She backed up into a wall and slid down to the floor. She then hugged her knees to her chest, her eyes full of tears as she stared the door down. All of her emotions were hitting her at once, every one of them overwhelming her senses.

“ _Why do I feel like I know all of this, and yet remember nothing? Why did she affect me in such a way?”_

She let her magic down as she hid her face in her knee, tears flowing. This was too much for her to handle. She didn't understand anything that was happening and was too petrified to try to comprehend it. How was it possible for everything in her to know this place, to know Glimmer and the woman, and yet not remember anything at all.

“ _What’s wrong with me? Who am I?_ ”


	6. Chapter Six: Courage

Chapter Six: Courage

_“Whatever you do mom, don’t freak out. Just go to her and help her believe._ ”

Those were the words Angella heard before Glimmer had teleported her from Mystacor to Bright Moon. It all happened so quickly that she hardly had any time to process the girl’s actions. Knowing her daughter was on a mission, she wasn’t even expecting to see her at all, but then the answers came to light in a way that made her heart stop.

“ _Rose?_ ”

There, in a room that had remained heartbreakingly empty for far too long, was her long lost little girl. It had taken her a minute to comprehend the situation as she couldn’t believe it was real, but when she saw that face, Angella knew from the depths of her very soul that it was indeed her youngest. There was no mistaking it.

“ _And yet she ran from me. We weren’t able to talk.”_

When she saw Rose, she wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in the deepest of hugs and love her with every inch of her being. She wanted to tell the child that she had never once been forgotten and that she'd never let her go again, but she wasn't afforded the chance to. Instead, Rose had brushed her aside in a wave of fear and sadness, locking herself away in a room that was usually meant for prisoners. It was then did Glimmer explain the entirety of the situation. It was a shocking revelation that she never saw coming.

Rose couldn’t remember that she was her mother.

“Mom?”

Angella turned from where she stood on her bedroom balcony to see her oldest behind her. With a small smile, she held out her hand, beckoning Glimmer over for a hug. When the embrace was accepted, she nuzzled lovingly into her daughter’s hair.

“Are you all right, darling?”

“I’m okay. I came to check on you.”

Angella squeezed a little tighter.

“I’m all right. I was just thinking.”

Glimmer pulled away and peered up with worry.

“I’m sorry. I know these last four days haven’t been ideal. I’m sorry that bringing her home isn’t going the way we hoped.”

Angella cupped her daughter's cheek.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. You and your friends brought her home, and I am so proud of you. Are you about to go visit her?”

"Yes. I wish you could, too. You want to so badly and it’s not fair that you can’t. You’re our mom. She should know you aren’t gonna hurt her.”

Angella hugged her daughter again. After Rose had locked herself away, she and Glimmer had teleported inside to talk, but as soon as Rose saw her again, there was a panic, and a slew of items went magically flying across the room. She hadn't spoken to the younger one since, fearing that she'd make things worse. It broke her heart that she could do nothing to help.

“I’ll be able to eventually, you’ll see,” she replied to Glimmer comfortingly. “I’d rather Rose be ready to see me than force it on her. I’m just glad she lets you in.”

“Kind of. I teleport in there to visit, but she never speaks to me. It’s like talking to a wall.”

“I bet it’s helping though," Angella reassured. "Even if she isn't talking, I bet there's some part of her that's thankful for the company."

“I sure hope so. I feel like I’m being a terrible sister.”

Angella rested her forehead on Glimmer’s.

“You are many things, but a terrible sister is not one of them. I can promise you that.”

Glimmer smiled faintly.

“Thanks. And you know you're a good mother, too, right? You know that her disappearance wasn't your fault?"

Angella felt her heart clench.

“Yes darling,” she half lied. “I know.”

“Good. I promise you'll be able to see her soon. You deserve to."

She placed a light kiss on her the girl’s forehead.

“Thank you, Glimmer. Until then, give her my love, all right? Go on.”

After another quick little hug, Glimmer teleported out. Once Angella was alone, she leaned on the balcony railing with a sigh. Her daughter hadn't been wrong. She wanted so badly to see her baby, so much that it hurt. The loss of her was something she had never fully gotten over, and now that the child was back in her life, all she wanted to do was hold her and love her. She needed Rose, and it nearly killed her not to visit, but she loved her enough to know when to give her space. She loved her enough to wait until she was ready, but Angella was also scared. She feared that if she somehow did the wrong thing, then she would lose Rose all over again. She was already conflicted with fears of being unwanted and hated by the girl that she didn’t want to accidentally do something that would push her farther away. She wanted Rose to be happy, even if it meant she herself would suffer from heartache a little longer.

“ _All that matters is she’s safe. She must come first. I’ll see her not when I want, but when she is ready.”_

She wiped away a stray tear.

“ _I just hope she knows I love her._ ”

* * *

“Zip?”

Glimmer knocked on the door to the spare room, a tray full of food in hand. Since Zip never came out, she brought food to her instead. She didn’t want her starving.

“It’s lunch, and I think you’ll like it.”

She then teleported inside the slightly disheveled area. As always, the child was curled up in a corner.

"Hey, you. I’ve brought your favorite, and this time without vegetables.”

Glimmer headed towards a table and placed the tray next to the one from breakfast. She was happy to see that the contents of this morning's food had disappeared. It meant that the girl was still eating. She was worried Zip would reject the meals when she started doing this, but the food always seemed to be gone every time she came by. She learned that any time there was food left, it meant Zip didn’t like it, so she tried to serve things she knew the child would eat.

Once the tray was down, she went and sat a few feet away from her sister, working to keep some distance as to not scare her off.

“Are you doing okay?”

As usual, there was no answer. Zip just stayed with her knees to her chest and her eyes down.

“I hope you’re well. You know, the weather is nice today, so if you want, I can take you on the tour of the palace. You should see the courtyard. It’s beautiful! It can just be you and me if you don’t want anyone else along.”

Still nothing. She wasn’t trying to pressure the girl into connecting, but she wanted to let Zip know that she wasn’t alone. She wanted to love on her.

“If not though, that’s all right. Maybe another time. Still, if you find yourself wanting to, just come and get me. I’ll be more than happy to show you around. Anyways, I’ll leave so you can eat, but I’ll be back later, okay? It’s nice to see you, Zip. As always, I’m here if you need anything.”

Glimmer shot her a warm smile before finally teleporting out. However, once she was back in her room, her smile faltered.

“I take it she didn’t speak today either?”

She looked up to see her three friends relaxing on the floor. With how terrible she was feeling, she was thankful for their presence.

“No, not a word,” she said back to Bow, now sitting next to him. “You think I’m being a good sister by visiting her? I mean, I know she’s scared, and I don’t want to push her, but I also want to visit her often, too so she can get used to me and her surroundings. I just wanna spoil her.”

Catra rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her drink.

“Here we go with the good sister thing again.”

Bow wrapped his arms around Glimmer and snuck a little kiss to her lips, prompting a blush from the receiver.

"I think you're doing fine. Company is good. You're visiting her, but you're not being overbearing either."

“I agree,” Adora said. “Just as long as you don't overcrowd her, I think things will turn out fine. She’ll come out when she’s ready.”

Glimmer rested her head on Bow’s chest. She always felt comforted in his arms.

“Is it terrible that I want soon to be now? Not so much for me, but for mom.”

She could easily access her little sister, but her mother could not. Zip seemed to want nothing to do with the woman.

“I can tell my mom really wants to see her. What’s worse is that, even though she denies it, I still think she blames herself for her disappearance, leading her to blame herself for Zip’s current state as well. If anyone is at fault here, it’s me. I was the one who was supposed to get to her to the safe house.”

“Hey now,” Adora told her, seriousness in her voice. “You and the queen are not to blame. It was the Horde who took her. It’s their fault.”

“Exactly,” Catra added. “Don’t give yourself too much credit.”

Glimmer giggled a bit at the remark.

“Oh yes, because I’m just a silly princess, right?”

“Ding, ding, ding! Tell her what she’s won!”

“Woah there!" Adora slipped a sneaky little squeeze to Catra's side, eliciting the most adorable squeak from her other half. "You forget that I'm a princess, too, and I'm more than capable of kicking your butt."

“Gah! Adora! You- “

The blond stopped her insults with a kiss, turning Catra into a blushing, pouting, ear twitching little kitten.

“Rude.”

Adora chuckled at the reaction.

“I love you, too. Anyways, yes, as I said, neither you nor your mom is at fault. The Horde kidnapped her. If they hadn’t done that, then none of this would have happened. As for her current state, that’s not on you guys either. That’s just from how she grew up.”

“Life couldn’t have been easy,” Bow commented. “She went into Briar Glen with no memory, and she was probably treated coldly because she was an outsider. Although she had Cal, she also had to put up with Camilla. Every time we saw her, she was always putting Zip down for something. Camilla treated her like she was worthless.”

Glimmer’s heart fell.

“That’s terrible. I don’t understand how anyone could be so cruel to a child. Ugh, I wish I could just love on her and spoil her and make her happy again.”

“It is terrible, but at least she won’t have to deal with it anymore,” Adora remarked. “All we can do now is give her the space she needs and show her that she doesn’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ll show her that friends and families can be good. Huh? Catra, are you okay?”

Catra, who had been resting her head on Adora’s lap, had a pained look on her face as if she was thinking about something she would rather forget.

"I'm fine," she answered. "I'm going for a walk though. I'll be back."

She then got up and left.

“What’s wrong with her?” Glimmer asked.

“I’m not sure.” Adora was concerned. “The look she had tells me she wants to be alone, so I’ll have to find out later. For now, maybe we should get some lunch?”

Glimmer laced her fingers between Bow’s before bringing up his hand to kiss it. As much as she wished she could love on her little sister, it was better to keep waiting until the time was right.

“Sounds like a plan to me. I’m starved.”

* * *

_“Move it, Zip! Why are you so worthless?”_

_“I’m not! You’re just a bitter woman who can’t be happy!”_

_“I’m bitter because I’m saddled with you. If Cal weren’t here, I’d kick you out in a second. I’d abandon you just like your family did.”_

_“Shut up! They didn’t!”_

_“They did and you know it! They left you for dead in this forest because they couldn’t stand the sight of you. They’re never coming back because you’re a worthless, useless, unlovable piece of trash!”_

Zip’s eyes snapped open, the late afternoon light peeking in from her window. It had been a long time since she had that nightmare. It was a morning she never forgot. The morning she gave up hope on ever being found. Camilla always told Zip she was worthless, and for a while, she fought it off, but when it became normal to hear it every day, she couldn't help but believe it herself. It ultimately led her to believe that no one would ever come back for someone as worthless as her.

Zip sat up in her chair and wiped a single tear away before stretching. After eating the lunch Glimmer had delivered, she had fallen asleep, her body feeling weak. This was due to her lack of magic. She recently used so much to keep people out that she needed to recharge again, but without the Moon Stone, she’d have to wait days to feel good.

“ _Glimmer did say you could find her if you needed something._ ”

She groaned and hid her face in her hands. Glimmer. Ever since she locked herself in here, the princess had been visiting her every single day. Sometimes it was to bring her food, and other times it was just to talk. Although Zip never spoke back, she secretly found it a little comforting to see her. She found herself wanting her around, and she weirdly enjoyed the sisterly feelings Glimmer gave. She just didn't know how to respond to it. Her mother also tried to visit, but that didn't end well at all.

“ _Mother._ ”

On the very day she locked herself away, Angella tried to see her. However, because she was too scared and too stubborn, she threw a fit, magically tossed things about the room, and then threatened to run away altogether if the woman didn't leave. Zip actually felt bad for that, but her mother was another person she didn't know how to approach. Not only did she feel so familiar, but Zip also felt so much love from her and it didn't compute in her hard-headed little mind. She wanted to see her, she yearned for her mother so badly it hurt, and that need was only getting stronger. It was like the longer she was in Bright Moon, the stronger her need got.

“Ugh! How is it I’m wanting these people and I can’t even remember who they are! And how is it they don’t hate me by now for being such a blah?”

“ _Communicate, Zip._ ”

Cal’s words played through her mind. She had never been very good at sharing her thoughts and Cal had always told her that half of her problems would be solved if she learned how to talk to people. She was terrible at it and worried it made her look weak.

“Ugh!”

She stood with a growl and kicked a nearby pillow. She was in the mood to throw things around with her magic as a way to vent out her frustrations, but she needed her recharge in order to do that.

“ _Just go find Glimmer. Have her bring you to the stone, get all charged up, and then you can ditch her to destroy things."_

She sighed and look towards her door. It would be her first time leaving since her arrival, and although she was hesitant, she was also desperate. She wanted her energy back.

“ _This better be worth it._ ”

Zip left her spot and opened the door ever so slowly. She didn’t want to be seen by anyone else if she could help it, and as her eyes scanned the halls, she realized that she was indeed alone. She then slipped out and down the hallway. Thankfully, she remembered where Glimmer’s room was.

“ _I wonder if her goons will be there._ ”

She hadn’t seen Adora, Bow, or Catra since she left either. Zip could tolerate their presence a little more than she could Glimmer’s and her mother’s, but she still didn’t want to see them yet.

When she got to Glimmer’s door, she paused. Was this a good idea? She could still get away before getting caught and avoid seeing the princess all together.

“ _Or you could just knock and get her. She’ll be able to get you to the stone quicker. Plus, you know you kind of wanna see her._ ”

She scowled at her thoughts. Then, after shaking off her nerves, she reached out and knocked on the door.

“Glimmer?”

There was no answer, forcing her to knock again.

“Glimmer, are you in there?”

She pressed against the door and opened it up, her head peeking inside.

"Hello? Oh. Joy. It's empty."

Her face dropped as she pulled her head back out.

“Of course. The one time I actually need her she’s gone.”

“Zip?”

“Nyaa!”

Zip backed into the wall with a squeal. In front of her was naturally the one she had been looking for.

“Hey, easy there. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Glimmer then flashed her an excitable smile.

“It’s nice to see you out of your room.”

After calming down, Zip looked away with a little 'hmph'.

“Yeah, well what of it.”

“Nothing, I’m just happy to see you out. I heard you calling my name. Did you need me for something? Oh! Are you taking me up on the tour offer?”

“No!”

Glimmer’s glowing excitability made her nerves act up again.

“ _Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. No! It is. Is it? Ugh! Seeing her makes me wanna spend time with her but it also makes me wanna crawl in a hole and live in darkness. At least the Briar had that. No. You can't. You want to destroy things, and to do that, you need a recharge. Just don't make it seem like you want to spend time with her."_

Zip shuffled and grumbled as she debated what to do. She then took a deep breath, put her hands together, and spoke.

“I. Need…help.”

Glimmer cocked her head to the side.

“Help? With what?”

“Murrrrrr. To do the, you know, bright and sparkly, bah! Ineedfindmywaytothestone.”

The last part of the sentence came out quiet and mumbled, leaving Glimmer a little confused.

“You need what?”

“Energy! I need the thingy so I don’t feel dead!”

Glimmer looked a little shocked at the outburst but then chuckled in understanding.

“Oh, you mean you need to recharge. I was actually going to bring that up later today since it's been a while since your last one. Did you want me to come with you?”

Zip rolled her eyes.

“Don’t make me sound so needy. I just don’t know how to get there on my own.”

“I can easily help with that. I don’t mind bringing you at all. Here.”

She held out her hand. There was such a sincere look of warmth and honesty in those eyes. Glimmer really did want to help.

“Yeah well, make it fast,” she muttered softly. She then reached out and slipped her hand into Glimmers, her cheeks tinging a bit.

“Let’s go already.”

With a little flash, Zip soon found herself in the Moon Stone chamber once again.

“Up you go,” Glimmer told her.

She climbed onto the platform and laid down on her back. Almost instantly she could feel her body slowly easing up, a sigh of relief leaving her.

“There. You'll feel better in no time."

Zip watched as Glimmer sat beside her, and in feeling all grumpy and shy, she rolled over, her back now facing the other. Part of her wanted to talk, but she had no clue what to say. She was terrible at expressing any other emotion that wasn’t anger, sarcasm, or annoyance.

“You know, I was starting to worry about you.”

Glimmer’s words pulled Zip out of her thoughts, a small guilt pang echoing in her chest.

"I was actually scared that you'd never come out. There are so many things I want you to see. So many things I want to do with you, but I don't want to scare you either.”

Zip curled up a little tighter, her finger fiddling with her hair. There were so many things she wanted to see and do, too. So many things she wanted to figure out.

“Zip, do you hate it here?”

This question caught her a little off guard, though it shouldn't have. With how much she had been in hiding, it did come off as if she hated everything. She had really hidden out of fear, but no one could know that unless she shared her thoughts.

“Cause if you do, I- “

"I don't hate it, you idiot."

“Wait, you don’t?”

She sighed and rolled back over again to face her sister.

“No. I don’t hate it.”

“Does that mean you don’t hate me, either?”

Zip’s unhappy gaze couldn’t help but soften at these words.

“Is that what you really think?”

Glimmer turned slightly and caught a tear before it fell out of her eye.

“Well, sometimes? I just want to be there for you, but if I do it too much I know you’ll push away, and I don’t want to scare you. I understand why you’re scared. I would be, too if I had no memory, but it just makes me want to help you even more.”

Zip sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. The look Glimmer gave was not so different from the one Cal had given her when she screamed that those who believed in families were weak, and seeing it again broke her heart. She never wanted to hurt people, but sometimes her own fears were too strong, and she would accidentally do so without meaning to.

“Glimmer. I don’t hate you at all. Not even a little.”

The eldest looked back over with a hopeful gaze.

“You don’t?”

Zip sighed and hid her face in her arms.

“Of course I don’t. If anything, you guys should be hating me.”

“What? Why would we hate you?”

“Because I’m so complicated!”

She turned her back towards Glimmer again, anger in her eyes. She wasn’t angry at the other, but more so at herself.

“Hey.”

Glimmer now joined her side and squeezed her shoulder.

“Talk to me.”

Zip peered over with uncertainty. On one hand, she could refuse to talk about it and continue trying to figure things out on her own. On the other, she didn’t want to see that hurt look on Glimmer again.

“ _Communicate._ ”

She sighed as Cal's voice played in her head yet again. It couldn't hurt just to try, right? Maybe things would become a little bit easier to handle.

“Zip?”

The eleven-year-old let her gaze fall to the ground before finally speaking.

“I’m a mess. Don’t you see it? You have all these memories of me, and they seem like they’re happy while I remember absolutely nothing. My mind cannot recall a single thing about you or Angella or anything about this place. And yet, even though my mind doesn’t remember, something else inside of me does. I know this place. I know you and Angella, but I can’t think of why I know you. It’s like being in a constant state of déjà vu, except nothing I do helps me remember. Do you know how confusing that is?”

Zip had to hold back the tears as she let this all out. She had been holding it in from the moment she met the princess and felt that connection.

“I’m scared, Glimmer. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know anything. I want to know, but I don't know how to learn. How can you guys love someone who has no memories?”

She hid her face in her hands, everything in her conflicted.

"Zip, it's okay to be scared." Glimmer reached out and rubbed her back. "It's more than okay. How can you not be with everything that's happened? I'm here for you though, and mom is, too. You have Adora, Catra, and Bow as well. We're all here for you, and we want to do what we can to help you adjust to everything so it's not so scary anymore. As for having no memories, what does that have anything to do with how mom and I feel about you?"

“What do you mean? It has everything to do with it. Glimmer, you love a sister you can remember, but I’m not that same girl. I mean physically yes, I would be stupid to deny that now, but I’ve changed.”

Glimmer’s gaze became both warm but serious, and she made sure Zip was looking at her before speaking.

"Of course you've changed. Everyone changes as they grow, but that doesn't mean I love you any less than I did when you were younger. You're family, my sister. I never stopped loving you, even while you were away. I never will either."

Zip didn’t know whether to believe that or not, mostly because she still viewed herself as an unlovable pain. She kept this to herself though. She wasn’t ready to talk about that.

"I mean it," Glimmer continued. "You're loved, and whatever you’re going through, we’ll figure it out together.”

Zip fiddled with her pants as a small distraction.

“Even Angella?”

Glimmer smiled.

"Especially her. I could sit here and tell you how much she loves you, but I won't do her justice. You need to share how you feel with her, too. Let her tell you. No, don't shake your head at this. You should talk to her Zip. It's not going to be too different from how you're talking to me now, which by the way I'm very proud of. I know that must have taken a lot of courage."

Zip kept her eyes on the ground.

“But what if she ends up not liking me,”

“That’s won’t happen. I promise. Do you really not want to see her?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“I do want to, but I’m…”

“I know. Scared.” Glimmer finished softly. “It’s okay to be, but I can promise that opening up to her will help you a lot. What’s the worst that can happen?”

There was that question again, the answer clear in her mind but she wasn't ready to voice it.

“Hey, I promise. It’s going to be okay,” Glimmer comforted. “Look, I have plan. After you’re done recharging, how about you hang with me for a little bit. Adora, Bow, and Catra can be with us, too if you want, or it can just be us. Then, after dinner, I can walk you to mom’s room and the two of you can talk. Does that sound okay?”

Zip was unsure about that whole idea. Talking to Glimmer was one hurdle, but then talking to the woman who gave her actual life was a whole other game. However, because of her sister, the need for her mother had also grown and she wasn’t sure she could fight it this time. It wouldn’t kill her just to talk, right?

“Does it have to be a long conversation?”

Glimmer shook her head.

“Not at all. You should tell her some of the things you told me, but only stay as long as you feel comfortable. Nothing bad is going to happen from it. You wanna give it a try?”

Zip still felt uncertain about it all, but in the end, her want for Angella was just a little bit stronger.

“Okay.”

Glimmer beamed at the response and reached to hug her, but that’s where Zip crossed the line.

“Hold up there, Sparkles. Don’t get all huggy on me now.”

Her sister looked shocked for a moment but then burst out into giggles, causing Zip, for the first time since her arrival, to smile just a tad herself.

“I’ll get there. Just not yet.”

Glimmer nodded and patted her leg.

“Okay you, let’s finish this recharge.”

Zip laid back down and closed her eyes. She still had a lot to work on, and she was definitely scared about speaking with Angella, but she’d do it this time. Speaking to Glimmer wasn’t as bad as she thought, so she hoped that speaking to her mom would yield the same results.

“ _As long as I don’t mess anything up. Camilla did tell me I’d be a mountain of trouble wherever I go. I don’t want to be trouble. I just want to be…”_

* * *

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

For the rest of the day, Zip stayed with Glimmer. She even hung out with Bow, Adora, and Catra, too, but didn't interact with them too much. Her mind was too distracted. Now, she and Glimmer stood outside of Angella's bedroom, Zip in a small panic.

“What if she’s busy? What if she’s sleeping? I don’t want to disturb her. Maybe I should come back another time.”

She tried taking off, but Glimmer took her by the arm and pulled her back.

"I don't think so. You're not getting out of this unless you really feel too uncomfortable. Don't worry, all right? She's not gonna busy for you, and she's definitely not sleeping yet. You can turn back if you really want, but if you think you can talk to her, give it a try."

Zip murred out of nervousness, but decided not to give in.

“I’ll still do this.”

Glimmer nodded with a smile.

“Okay. You want me to come in with you?”

“No,” she answered. “I want to try this by myself.”

“Not a problem. You can meet me in my room after if you’d like.”

That Zip agreed to. Having someone there after this was finished would be a small bit of comfort.

“All right then, go on. I believe in you.”

Zip faced the door in silence. Her ears were pounding, and her nerves were all over the place. She was finally going to properly meet her mother.

“ _You can do this. Just try not to run this time. And try not to stutter. You should try to speak actual words, too. Ugh. I'm already failing at this._ ”

She inwardly groaned and had a feeling this meeting was going to go terrible. Still, she wanted to at least give it a shot despite being scared, so after a deep breath, she sucked up what little courage she had and knocked on the door. At first, there was no sound, and Zip thought Glimmer had made a mistake in saying Angella was within, but then came that same honey voice she heard days ago.

“Come in.”

Glimmer’s encouraging grin was the last thing she saw before entering the room.

“ _Oh wow, it’s pretty in here._ ”

The room was decorated in a variety of purples and pinks and had the comfiest looking couch she had ever seen. There was also a hint of lavender in the air, reminding her of springtime.

“Glimmer? Is that you?”

Angella spoke from around the corner. With a gulp, Zip stepped forward and peered around the wall to see the woman in bed with a book, and when their eyes met, her mother nearly dropped it.

“Rose?”

“I’m sorry!” Zip half hid behind the wall. “I’m sorry I’m sorry, I can come back when you’re not busy.”

"No, wait!” Angella placed her book down and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I’m not busy! Please, stay.”

Zip peeked meekly back around the corner before coming out fully.

“Come on over, it’s okay.”

She crept closer to the bed and stopped right in front of her mother, eyes locked with the purple carpet beneath her feet.

“Are you all right, dear?”

Zip was already red in the cheeks, her hands tugging at the hem of her shirt as worry and need and a mix of other emotions flooded through her.

“U-um…well, I w-was gonna, and then there was, and G-glimmer said…”

She couldn’t get her words out, not the way she wanted to.

“I just wanted to- ugh!" She growled out of frustration. "Why can’t I speak words like a human being! I knew this was a bad idea. I’ll- “

Before Zip could finish her sentence, she felt a soft hand cup her cheek.

“It’s okay little one. Take your time. Why don’t you sit here?”

Angella patted the spot beside her. Although hesitant at first, Zip slipped on, her eyes still unable to connect with the other.

“It’s lovely to see you. I was beginning to worry.”

Zip went back to fiddling with her shirt.

“S-sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I needed some time to think.”

Angella nodded.

"I understand. Glimmer explained your situation. If you can't remember anything, then all of this must have come as a shock to you. You do know that, if we had known you were still living, we would have kept pursuing you. We all thought you to be dead. It was Glimmer who discovered you were still alive."

Zip gave a light shrug. She did believe her, but she also still had reservations about believing she was wanted all these years.

“I mean it. I would have never given up had I know you were still out there. I would have found a way to get to you and bring you home. I’m sorry.”

Zip shook her head at the reply.

“I don’t see why you’re sorry. You didn’t know. It’s kind of done with now.”

Angella reached out and slipped her hand into Zip’s, squeezing it lightly.

“Still, I’m sorry you were out there all these years. I’m just glad you’re home.”

When she heard a sniffle, she looked up to see her mother smiling through tears.

“I’ve missed you terribly.”

When she felt her own eyes brimming with salty droplets, she had to turn away again.

“Did you really?”

“What? Of course I missed you. Do you not believe that?”

Zip hugged herself gently.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Glimmer. I don't know what to believe. I spent these last few years thinking that I was hated and unwanted by whatever family left me behind, and it left me hating the idea of families. It left me thinking I would never be found. Now that it's happened, I don't know what to do. Obviously, you didn't abandon me, and it's clear that you guys know me and are happy to see me, but I don't remember any of you. I have no idea how to be right now. One minute I’m just this worthless orphan and the next minute I’m a princess with a family. I can’t process all of that.”

“I know,” Angella comforted. “I can't imagine what you're going through. That would be hard on anyone. You don't have to go through it alone, though. You don't have to go through anything alone anymore. You're home, and we're so happy that you're here. We'll do anything to help you through this."

“Happy?” Zip questioned. “How can you be happy? I have no memory and I sure haven’t done anything to make either of you feel good.”

“I’m happy because you back with me again,” Angella told her. “It nearly killed me to lose you. I never fully recovered from it. Never did a day go by where I didn’t think about you and want you in my arms. You’re my daughter and I love you. I am more than happy to have you back home.”

“But I don’t know how to be a daughter! I don’t know how to be part of a family. How can you love someone like that? How can you love me? I’ve been gone for five years and I am not the same girl that was taken. It’s not me you love, it’s the memory of me.”

At these words, Angella shifted from her spot and sat right in front of Zip, both of her hands in her little girl's.

"You listen to me." Her firm but gentle voice shook a little as she spoke. "It is not a memory I am in love with. It is you. Love isn't born in the head, Rose. It's born in here."

She felt Angella’s hand over her heart.

“This is where it begins, and my love for you is so deep. I felt it the moment I found out you were going to be born. I felt it all those months carrying you. I still feel it now. Memory or not, you are still my daughter. There is no one in this world who will ever know the strength of my love for you."

Zip then felt a hand touch her cheek.

“After all, just like your sister, you’re the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside. This heart beats for both of you, and loves you more than anyone in the world will ever know.”

For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. No one had ever said “I love you” to her that many times in one speech, and when she heard it from Angella, something stirred inside her chest, a feeling that had been dormant for so many years. The ice that had formed around her heart was beginning to melt.

“Do you understand me, Rose?”

Zip nodded in shock. She still felt scared, and she still felt worried, and the idea of love still made her uneasy, but there was one thing she knew for sure.

Her family had no plans on giving up on her.

“ _Like Glimmer, I’m the only one who knows the sound of her heart from the inside?”_

Those words got to her.

“ _Is that the feeling I get when I'm near her? That feeling of connection? She still loves me?"_

There were a million and one questions floating through her mind. She was in a daze from it all and didn’t know how to process anything. She was so out of it that she failed to see Angella coming in with a hug until it was too late. The woman wrapped her up in the warmest embrace she had ever felt. Zip naturally tensed up and didn’t sink into it, but Angella didn’t seem to care.

“Good. Never forget how deep my love runs for you. Memory or not, you’re mine.”

When Angella pulled away, Zip remembered how to breathe again.

“Are you all right?”

She tried to talk, but her mind was all over the place that she could only stutter.

“U-uh, I-I’m…t-tired.”

She wasn’t really, but that was the best she could come up with.

“Yeah. Tired.”

Angella smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

“Sleep then, little one, but I’ll be here if you need anything. I’m so very happy you came to see me.”

Zip slipped off the bed and headed back to the door. Right before she disappeared, she turned back to look at her mother once more, the woman smiling in turn.

“Good night, my Rose.”

After that, she left, but before she headed into Glimmer’s room, she plopped against the wall and slid to the floor. Her entire self was still decompressing from the encounter. She went in not knowing completely what to say, and she came out with a warmth she hadn’t felt in such a long time.

“ _She really loves me? If that’s so, then everything Camilla said was wrong. Does that mean I'm loveable? Can I really not be a mountain of trouble?"_

She wasn’t overly sure. Everything was still too new, and there was so much she had to get used to, but perhaps things would turn out okay. Perhaps things would get easier. Doubts and fears still lurked within her soul, but maybe time would change that.

“ _I still don't know. I don't know about any of this, but maybe, just maybe, it's okay to try."_

With that, for the very first time in what seemed like forever, she had hope.


	7. Chapter Seven: The Mysteries of Magic

Chapter Seven: The Mysteries of Magic

“I can’t believe Zip’s been here for almost a month and a half and she’s just now ready to meet your aunt.”

It was an early September morning. Usually, Glimmer was all for sleeping in, but today she was wide awake and ready to go. She was excited about the event that would soon take place, especially since it had taken so long for her sister to agree to it.

“We didn’t want to push her,” Glimmer replied to Catra as she looked over her outfit in the bedroom mirror. “She’s still apprehensive about things. I mean, she talks to us, but it’s never about how she feels. She hasn’t done that since the night she properly met mom. Zip doesn’t lock herself away anymore though, and just the other night she started sleeping in her own room instead of the spare one.”

“Which is awesome,” Bow added. “She’s adjusting slowly but surely.”

“I’ve seen old ladies move faster than she does,” Catra retorted.

“Oh be nice,” Adora giggled before hugging the girl from behind. “You adore her, and you know it.”

“Ugh!” Catra bopped her girlfriend’s face with her tail. “Why would I adore that little snot? She’s always snarky with me.”

“You’re both snarky,” Adora replied. “And you like her because she reminds you of yourself.”

“She does not! I’m offended.”

Glimmer could see the blush forming on her feline friend’s face from the mirror. Even though Catra wouldn’t admit it, the girl had indeed developed a fondness for Zip and had worked on pulling her little sister out of her comfort zone in her own Catra way.

“So you convincing Zip to take that family walk with me and mom the other day had nothing to do with you adoring her?”

“No way!” Catra’s blush grew deeper. “I just wanted her out of my hair!”

**_Knock, knock._ **

Glimmer turned when she heard the sound.

“Come in.”

The door opened and in walked a very sleepy Zip, her heart melting at the sight. She was dressed in her typical Briar Glen wear. Glimmer tried getting her some newer clothing, but Zip was still attached to her old belongings.

“ _The poor thing._ ”

The girl didn’t look functional or ready to go anywhere at all. Her eyes were still half shut, and her hair shot in out in multiple different directions.

“Aww, someone’s not awake yet.”

Zip murred while rubbing her sleep away before mumbling out a series of tired jumbled words that most ears wouldn’t be able to comprehend.

“Uh, did she just ask for a towel to crush?” Bow asked.

“No,” chuckled Glimmer. “She asked to borrow a hairbrush.”

“Yeah that’s totally not what came out of her mouth,” Catra said flatly.

Glimmer picked up the black brush from her table and held it out to Zip.

“You want me to do it for you?”

The little girl shook her head before taking the item and working her hair.

“Brush it good,” Catra commented. “You look like you got electrocuted. It’s- oomph!”

Glimmer watched as a pillow flew from her bed to Catra’s face.

“H-hey!”

A second one now floated in the air before zooming right into the side of the cat woman’s head, Catra scowling from the magical attack.

“Zip!”

“See what happens when you tease little kids?” Adora teased.

Glimmer smirked and turned her attention back to her sister.

“You sleep okay?”

“Eh.”

“Was everything comfortable?”

“Too early for questions.”

“Girls?”

It was Angella’s turn to enter the room, a small look of relief in her eyes when she found the two sisters together.

“Oh good, you’re both here. Good morning, everyone.”

A series of good mornings followed as Glimmer returned to her mirror to double-check that everything was in place.

“You girls almost ready?” Angella asked.

“I am!” Glitter answered. “I think Zip’s just about ready, too.”

Zip mumbled something in reply and was in the process of returning the brush to Glimmer’s vanity when Angella plucked the floating object from the air.

“Rose, darling,” she giggled. “You missed a spot.”

Zip let her mother brush out an area on the back of her head without much fight. While this happened, Adora moved beside Glimmer and whispered out a question.

“Angella can call her Rose, but you can’t?”

“No. She only let’s mom do it. That’s all right though because my big thing right now is trying to hug her. It’s like a game, really.”

“What do you mean?”

Glimmer faced Adora with a wink.

“Watch this.”

She then teleported from her spot. Her plan was to glomp the other in a hug, but as soon as she landed in front of Zip, the invisible shield went up and she bounced back.

“Glimmer!”

“Aww,” she teased. “You mean I can’t hug my little Zip?”

“Of course you can’t! You know that!”

“But you’re just so cute and huggable!”

“Grawr!”

“Glimmer.” Angella had just finished brushing out Zip’s hair. “Don’t pick on your sister.”

“Yeah, don’t pick me on me,” the girl repeated.

The elder sister only smirked, leaving the younger slightly confused. That’s when Zip turned to find Angella trying to sneak in her own hug. She almost succeeded, but Zip threw her shield up just before it could happen.

“Ugh! Angella!”

The woman could only laugh.

“I’m sorry dear, can you blame me? Anyway, we should get going. Your aunt will throw a fit if we show up late.”

“You sure you guys don’t want to join?” Glimmer asked her friends. “You could get some serious relaxing in. We don’t mind at all.”

“No, it’s okay,” Bow answered. “You guys should have some family time. We can hang out tomorrow instead!”

“If you’re sure.” Glimmer ran over to give him a quick kiss before waving at the three of them. “All right, then. We’ll make plans to go another day.”

“Have fun!” Adora called.

"Don't fall off a cliff, Zip," Catra added. Zip stuck out her tongue in reply.

Glimmer ran back to her family and placed a hand on each of them.

“See you guys later!”

Then after another little wave, she teleported the three of them out of the room.

* * *

“Welcome to Mystacor.”

Zip had just arrived at the new place with her mother and sister, her eyes unable to stop staring at the scenery around her while Glimmer spoke. Large golden archways towered over pathway entrances like giants, and a mix of waterfalls and grassy fields filled the many different layers of the mountain that spiraled upwards. At the very top stood a building decorated with intricate designs.

“Mystacor,” Zip repeated. “So, this is where sorcerers come to train?”

“Yes,” Angella answered. “Both your father and your aunt used to train here as children.”

Zip had seen pictures of her father back at the castle, but he wasn't as recognizable as Glimmer and her mom because he died not long after Angella found out she was pregnant with her.

“It’s also a great place to relax,” Glimmer added. “It’s got tranquil gardens, beautiful beaches, and healing springs! It’s the perfect place to let your worries fade away.”

"Uh-huh. And you say that this Castaspella is the head sorceress here?"

“Mhm! Just be wary though, Aunt Casta can be a little much sometimes, but in a good way.”

Zip raised a brow.

“Define much.”

“Well, she’s very excitable,” Glimmer answered.

“Excitable is an understatement,” Angella muttered.

“Oh, so she’s like Glimmer times ten?”

“Hey!” She was playfully poked in the forehead by her sister. “So I’m a little excitable, what can I say? Still, mom’s kind of right. That word doesn’t do Aunt Casta enough justice.”

Zip thought about the woman as they walked up the path. She was hesitant to meet her for the longest time because she was still getting used to the presence of her mother and Glimmer, plus the idea of some quality family time made her nervous. However, after hearing how desperately she wanted to be seen, and because curiosity did eventually get the best of her, she finally relented.

“Oh jeeze, she’s not a hugger like you two are, is she?”

Glimmer snickered.

“She is definitely a hugger, sorry about that.”

“Uuuugh.”

Zip groaned at this thought, though it was only halfheartedly. During her stay, Glimmer had started a little game that involved sneak hugs, something that drove the young girl crazy. She always had to be on guard. To make matter worse, her mother would also take part in the activity once in a while. Most of the time she was able to get her shield up, but there were the few occasions where her mother and Glimmer would get her good. She acted as if she hated the hugs with every fiber of her being, but secretly she began to like them. There was something lovely about how they felt, something that gave her warm feelings, and lately, she found herself craving them more often than not. However, she was still too nervous to ask.

"So overall, she's crazy."

“Just a little,” Glimmer giggled. “She- “

“Rose?”

The three of them stopped to see a tall, slender woman with dark hair staring at them from the top of the path. Once Zip and the figure locked gazes, the visitor's eyes grew huge.

“Rose! It _is_ you!”

The woman came barreling down the path at such a speed that Zip didn’t have any time to process what was going on. By the time she did figure out what was happening, it was much too late, and soon she found herself wrapped in an embrace that nearly squeezed the air out of her.

“Rose! My sweet! I’m so excited to see you, and you’ve gotten so big! You’re so beautiful and wonderful and I’m just so happy you finally came to visit! I nearly died when Angie told me you returned. My baby Rosie!”

“Uh, I think you’re squishing her,” Glimmer said meekly.

“I’m what?”

“Castaspella, my daughter can’t breathe.”

“Oh!”

The woman pulled back, allowing Zip to get the air she had been gasping for. Her shield would’ve usually been up at this point, but she was left so shocked by the crazed attack that she didn’t get the chance to pop it.

“ _They weren’t kidding. Excitable isn’t enough to describe her._ ”

She took this momentarily quiet moment to get a good look at her aunt. Just like with her mother and sister, there was a warm little tug in her chest. Castaspella was definitely familiar, and she could feel the cogs in her mind turning in thought, but no matter how hard she tried, her memory could not recall.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to squish you! I was told you didn’t like hugs, or to be called Rose for that matter, but I had to get at least one hug in because I haven’t seen you since…”

Casta's voice trailed off, Zip having to look away out of guilt. Her aunt was so excited to see her, and yet that excitement couldn’t be reciprocated on the same level because of her lack of knowledge.

“I’m s-sorry,” Zip managed to stutter out. “Um, I don’t mean to be bland, I just- “

Castaspella lifted her chin and placed a kiss on her forehead, her eyes understanding and warm with love.

"You don't remember. I know. You're still you though, and you're home. That's all that matters. Oh, Angie, she looks just like you."

Zip looked up at her mom to see her smiling as well, a blush now forming on her cheeks at all the loving gazes she was getting.

"And you, my sweet Glimmer." Her aunt reached out and cupped Glimmer’s cheek. “To see all three of you together makes me so happy.”

Casta placed another kiss on her head, did the same to her sibling, and then stood up.

“All right then, shall we proceed?”

Zip followed the three up the path, her eyes still scanning the scenery. Her mind, however, was elsewhere as she hadn’t quite recovered from the previously given affection.

“ _She was happy to see me, just like mom and Glimmer were. I don't know how to feel about it though. I mean, I do feel happiness, but it's confusing._ ”

“Hey, you okay, Zip?”

She looked to find Glimmer walking beside her.

“Yeah.”

“You sure?”

Zip shrugged. She honestly wasn’t sure about anything, and still felt a little nervous being alone with them. It’s not like she didn’t want to be, but she wasn’t confident in how to act and often wished that there was some kind of book to show her how to function as a family member. She had been doing her best with coming out more by spending time with Glimmer and the gang, and even with her mother at times, but it was so hard to build up the courage to do so and even harder to be alone with them for long periods.

“Hey.”

She looked over to see Glimmer reach out and touch her shoulder.

“It’s gonna be all right, I promise."

Although Zip didn’t have it in her to share her thoughts, she did find herself comforted by Glimmer’s words. Maybe today would be okay.

"So your mother and I need to have a little meeting this morning, but after I thought we could do lunch and then spend time together doing other things. Does that sound good?'

“Yeah!” Glimmer replied happily. “While you guys do that, I thought I’d give Zip a little tour before taking her to the beach.”

“That sounds perfect!” Castaspella replied. “Will you guys practice some magic after? You two used to do that a lot. I’d see sparkles everywhere. Pink ones from you and purple ones from Zip."

Zip, who had gotten slightly distracted by a flock of birds that flew overhead, stopped suddenly in her tracks when she heard this.

“Come again?”

"Oh, I was saying that you and Glimmer used to run around and use your magic everywhere when you were kids," her aunt answered.

“Uh, the only magic thing I have is the ability to move objects.” Zip lifted a small pebble from the ground and moved it to her open hand. “That’s it, but you just said something about sparkles everywhere, pink ones from Glimmer and purples ones from me.”

“Yeah!” She replied. “You and Glimmer both share that power. It’s similar to the light magic your mother has.”

“I don’t have that power though.” She felt all sorts of confused. Her gift of moving things came to light when she first remembered her name five years before, but that was the only magic she had ever used. There was no way she had other powers, and to confirm it, she looked at both Glimmer and her mom. “I don’t, do I?”

She watched as the two peered at each other and then back at her, Angella breaking the silence.

“You did when you were younger. Can you not use them now?”

Zip shook her head. She couldn’t think of a single time where she had used any type of sparkle light magic.

“We thought you knew,” Glimmer said, a small bit of panic in her eyes. “We just assumed you weren’t using it for some reason or just didn’t want to use it, so we never said anything.”

“No, I’m not using it because I don’t have it. At least not to my knowledge.”

She looked down at her hands. Zip was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. How could she have a power she didn't even know about? And if she used to have it, what happened?

“Is something wrong with me?”

“No, no not at all,” Angella told her. “It’s not uncommon for magic to stop working sometimes.”

Zip eyed her a little skeptically, assuming she was saying that just to make her feel better.

"Sometimes? Five years is an awfully long time for magic to not function.”

“It’s true though,” Castaspella added. “Magic can shut down for any length of time, even for those who are born with their gifts. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were tied in with your memory loss honestly.”

Zip clenched her hands and crossed her arms over her chest. She was already feeling nervous about coming here, now she felt even more awkward knowing she apparently had other powers she was not aware of.

“ _I know it kind of makes sense for me to have them, but why can’t use them? Why is one power functional and the other is not? What else do I not know about myself?”_

Then another thought crossed her mind, one that pushed out the awkward feeling and brought in one of worry.

“ _What if it’s not working because I’m not really part of this family after all?_ ”

Logically it sounded silly, but something inside always worried that this life and family were too good to be true for someone like her. Even though all the signs pointed to Angella and Glimmer, she still had a feeling that she couldn’t possibly be lucky enough to have them. She was afraid that any minute, the rug would be pulled out from beneath her and she’d wake back up in Briar Glen.

“Zip.”

The girl looked up. Her worry must have been apparent because Glimmer now stood in front of her with a comforting smile.

“It’s okay. Like Aunt Casta said, it’s probably related to the fact that you’ve lost your memories. There’s no need to worry. We’ll figure things out, all right?”

Zip shuffled a little, appreciating but not fulling accepting those words, so instead of thanking her, she pushed past her and continued up the path.

“Are we doing this thing or what?”

She looked back enough to see worried glances but ignored them for the time being.

“Zip, wait!” Glimmer called before turning to the two adults. “I’ll go ahead and start showing her around. See you guys at lunch?”

Angella nodded.

“Go on. We will see you then. Please be careful.”

* * *

“I feel terrible.”

Angella took a small sip of the chamomile tea in front of her. She and Castaspella had spent the morning reviewing a list of applicants from Bright Moon that wanted to study at Mystacor. Now the two were taking a small tea break in the garden, Angella’s eyes full of worry as she spoke.

“I wanted this day to run smoothly for her, but I saw that look on her face when she learned she had another power. She was worried, increasingly so when she realized that it has not worked for the last five years.”

"That's not your fault," Casta replied. "I was the one who mentioned it. When you wrote that she still retained her gifts, I assumed you meant both of them."

“I assumed she had both myself. She’s so hesitant about things that show she’s part of the family that I thought she wasn’t using her sparkle magic purposely. I know that magic can go dormant, but do you really think it’s tied in with her memory loss?”

“It’s a possibility. You said that she had a head injury when she was found all those years ago, correct?”

Angella nodded.

"Yes. She told me that she was found by Briar Glen the same day the ship crashed into the Frightening Wilds, and that when she was found, she had a head wound along with other small injuries."

Castaspella sat back in her chair in thought.

“Her head injury could be why she has no memory, and her lack of memory could be the reason some of her powers aren’t working. Hmm, on top of that, there could be another factor as well. I noticed that when I met her, she was very cautious. I could see it in her eyes and in the way she tensed up with affection. She still like this at home?"

“She is,” Angella replied. “She doesn’t let anyone touch her if she can help it, and she never talks about what she’s feeling. She doesn’t call me mother either. She had gotten better at getting around more though. She’ll spend a little time with Glimmer and her friends, and sometimes she’ll spend time with me, too, but she’s always so tense during those moments.”

"You know that resistance could have something to do with her magic then, right?"

“Yes, that thought has occurred to me. I wish I knew what to do.”

She placed her cup down with a sigh.

“Sometimes I feel like a terrible mother because I can’t get through to her. All I want to do is help, but I don’t want to push too hard either. She gets scared, and I can’t blame her for it. This is a like a whole new world for her, and according to Glimmer, she grew up with a female figure who did nothing but break her down and hurt her, forcing her to disbelieve in the idea of families and in the idea that she had one out there who wanted her. Knowing that makes me feel even more like a bad parent. I’m supposed to protect her, and yet I wasn’t there to save her that night. I wasn’t there to…”

Angella choked back her words and hid her teary gaze in her hands. Despite being told otherwise, she still couldn’t help but blame herself for her daughter’s disappearance, and also felt that everything that had happened to Rose after it was also her fault because she had given her up for dead. She thought that if she had just kept looking, then maybe she would have spared Rose all the pain.

“Angella.”

She lifted her head to see a teary-eyed but smiling Castaspella looking back, the woman's hand rubbing her arm.

"It's not your fault. It never was. You are an amazing mother and you've done nothing but love those girls with all your heart. I know things seem rough now, but they'll get better. After all, she's got you and Glimmer. You two will be the reason she comes out of her shell."

Angella grinned at the warm words.

“Thank you, but don’t count yourself out. She has you, too. I remember how close the two of you were. Every time we’d visit, she’d always run up to you yelling ‘Aunt Casta, Aunt Casta! Come play!’ It was the cutest thing.”

“I remember,” Casta giggled. “She’d give me the biggest hug and start dragging me away for some adventure. Oh Angie, it means so much to see her today. Thank you for bringing her.”

“Of course. You missed her just as much.”

Castaspella nodded and squeezed her hand.

"Also, please take me seriously when I say that you're not a bad mother. There's no point in dwelling on the past anymore, so no more blaming yourself or wishing you had done something differently. None of it was your fault. All you can do now is just keeping loving her as you have been, even if it means pushing a little more. That will eventually give Rose the courage to open up. I know it.”

Angella smiled wider squeezed the woman’s hand in return.

“Thank you, Castaspella. All I’ll ever give her is love.”

Casta nodded and pulled away before wiping away a few of her own stray tears.

“Anyway, we should finish with those applications. It's almost lunchtime, and I want to get to those girls as soon as possible.”

Angella giggled and stood.

“All right then, let’s go.”

* * *

“ _They say my inability to use sparkle magic might be because of my memory loss, but is that really true? How can they prove that?"_

“Hey, Zip?”

_“I’ve thought through all the times I’ve used my magic in Briar Glen, and not once did anything sparkle. If I did ever use that other power, I’m sure Cal would have told me. Can magic really go dormant for five whole years?”_

“Zip, can you hear me?”

“ _Maybe it doesn’t work for me because it’s not really there. Maybe it doesn’t work because I’m not who they think I am. I mean, sure I look like Angella, and anyone could tell that Glimmer and I are possibly related, but what if that’s all a coincidence? They’re both so nice, and I’m such a mess. I still struggle and all I do is cause trouble, so how could I honestly be lucky enough to have them as family?_ ”

“Zip!”

The girl snapped from her thoughts with a slight jump, a concerned Glimmer staring back.

“Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

“Y-yeah,” she replied. “I was just, uh, thinking. Anyways, what were we doing?”

She could tell Glimmer didn’t quite accept that answer, but her sister didn’t push it.

“I was just telling you that we’ve entered the Hall of Sorcerers.”

“Oh.”

She looked around at the large white statues that surrounded her. She had been so distracted that she barely remembered walking in here.

“Each of them have done great things for Mystacor. And look over here. This is our dad, Micah.”

Zip followed Glimmer to a statue of a man. She recognized it instantly from the pictures back at home.

“He was a great sorcerer, and he helped my mom start the original Princess Alliance back when the Horde was still causing issues for Etheria.”

Zip poked at the statue with her hand.

"Even if I had my memory, I wouldn't be able to recall him, right?"

“No,” Glimmer replied sadly. “He died before you were born.”

The girl cocked her head a little and sighed. Even though she couldn’t remember him, she could still feel a small sadness in her heart. After a few moments though, she turned away and glanced at the other stone figures. There was one in particular, a darkened one, that caught her eye.

“Who is that?”

Glimmer looked to where Zip pointed, the child instantly noticing a change in her facial expression.

"Her name was Light Spinner. She was also one of the greats here until she fell into dark magic. Do you happen to remember anything about the events of Horde Prime?"

“Vaguely. There was talk, but only the Hunter’s Guild dealt with it. When I say that Briar Glen wants nothing to do with the outside world, I mean it. Even when things go bad.”

“Well,” Glimmer continued. “Light Spinner also went by another name. Shadow Weaver, and during the events of Horde Prime, she sacrificed herself to save Adora and Catra.”

Zip looked at her sister with confusion.

“So she was bad, but also saved the two of them? What happened with that?”

Glimmer shook her head.

“Honestly, that’s not my story to tell. I think it’s more appropriate for Catra and Adora to share that with you.”

Zip looked back at the statue with curiosity. She wanted to know more, but Glimmer’s voice was serious, so she knew she’d get no more information.

“Anyways, are you ready to go to the beaches?”

Zip turned and leaned back against the wall.

“I guess.”

Glimmer approached her with that same concerned gaze she was sporting earlier.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Zip, come on. I can tell something’s up. You’ve been off ever since you heard Aunt Casta talk about your magic. Is that what’s bothering you?”

She groaned at the question, half wanting to talk about it and half wanting to ignore it altogether.

“Zip.”

“What? Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine, okay? So I used to have some dumb purple sparkle magic and now I don't. It's not a big deal. It's not like it's ever gonna come back anyway so why should I be concerned about it?"

“You don’t know that! I’m sure it’ll come back.”

"Really? Why hasn't it after all this time then, huh?"

“I don’t know,” Glimmer replied. “Aunt Casta’s said it’s probably tied to your memory loss.”

“Which means it won’t ever come back unless I can remember things again, something that is also doubtful.”

"No, it's, not at all, especially since you're home and around us again. Things may start coming back to you naturally over time."

Zip merely shrugged at the words. She didn’t know what to believe.

“Hey, I know I can’t do anything to help with the memories, but I might be able to help with the magic a little. After all, I was the one that helped you use your sparkle magic in the first place.”

She turned her gaze from the floor and up to her sister.

“You did?”

"Mhm!" Glimmer smiled. "You had just turned five and were starting to show signs of that power, so during a visit to Aunt Casta, I brought you out to a field and helped you create your first little light ball. Maybe if we practice a little now, we might get it to work again!"

Zip's eyes widened a little. Could Glimmer really help wake that magic up?

“You think so?”

“It’s a possibility.” She held out her hand. “Want to give it a go?”

Zip eyed the hand a little skeptically. She was nervous to try because she still had that fear of not belonging here, but she was also curious to see if she could truly make it work. So, after a bit of thought, she reached out and slipped her hand into Glimmer's. Almost instantly the world disappeared, and soon she found herself standing in a small field on one of the many cliff spirals.

“This is where we used to practice,” Glimmer told her. “Come on.”

Zip was pulled a little farther out before her sister stopped and stood in front of her.

"Okay, now, listen carefully. Hold out your hands just a bit and cup them like you're holding water. There you go. Okay, good. Now, close your eyes.”

She did as she was told and shut them.

“I feel weird.”

“You’re all right,” Glimmer chuckled. “Remember, this may or may not work. We’re just gonna try it and see, okay?”

“Murr.”

“Goober. Anyway, with your eyes closed, I want you to take in your surroundings. Slow your breathing, feel the air, take in the smells, everything.”

Zip slowly took a breath, working to relax as she tried to sense what was going on around her. She could hear birds flying overhead. She could smell the sweet perfume of nearby flowers. She could feel a cool breeze against her cheek. It was honestly quite relaxing.

“ _Maybe I can do this._ ”

"There you go," Glimmer continued. "Try to feel connected with the world. Now, I want you to look back and try to find the happiest memory you can. Something that makes you feel really good."

Zip scanned through her memories of Briar Glen. There were some decent ones from her time there, but nothing that gave her strong feelings. When thoughts turned to her mother and Glimmer, however, the strongest warm feelings she had ever felt filled her heart.

“When you find that memory, hold onto it. Feel it.”

She thought about both her sister and her mom carefully. Although being with them tended to make her nervous, it also made her feel good. The happy like feelings came naturally with them. Yes it was frightening because she couldn't remember and families scared her, but the warmth was there, nonetheless.

"When you feel it, let it flow through you. Let that happiness fill every part of you."

She focused on the two of them even more. She thought about the time she finally opened up to Glimmer a little bit, she thought about the very first time Angella hugged her, and she thought about the time the three of them took a family walk around the castle grounds. She liked being around them, she really did. She just didn't know how to act. Maybe she didn't have to fight them off so much. Maybe she could just be normal and happy with them.

“ _Why can’t you be normal, Zip? Why do you always have to be such a thorn in my side? You have caused me aggravation from the moment my mother took you in._ ”

Camilla’s words suddenly began ensnaring her mind like poison, filling the happy feelings she was trying to focus on with doubt.

“You can do it, Zip. There you go. I believe in you.”

She tried focusing harder on thoughts of her mother and Glimmer, but Camilla’s voice kept ringing in her ears.

“ _You have no family out there. No one wants you, and if for some reason a family does exist, they don’t want you anymore. They got rid of you for a reason. You were worthless to them. Useless.”_

“Keep it going, keep it going. Focus hard Zip.”

It was a process to keep those happy feelings in check. It was like the harder she tried, the more Camilla's words taunted her mind in an unending whirl of grief.

“ _You’re not wanted, Zip. You’re not wanted, and you’re not loved. Remember that. I don’t care what Cal says, you deserve to be alone forever._ ”

“Okay Zip, now- “

“No!”

She opened her eyes and pushed herself away from the other heatedly.

“Stop it!”

“What? Zip, I- “

“I said stop! It’s not gonna work!”

“It’s okay if it doesn’t!” Glimmer told her. “We just have to keep practicing.”

“Liar! You don’t know anything! The magic is gone and it’s never coming back!”

“Girls? What’s going on?”

They both turned to see that Castaspella and Angella had joined them.

“Zip?” Angella asked. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

"What happened?" Castaspella asked. "You're upset, I can tell."

“I’m not upset!”

“Honey, you- “

“I said I’m fine! I don’t want to talk about it!”

She hid her face behind her hands, tears burning as she fought to hold them back. When Casta saw this, she sighed and turned to the other.

“Angella? Glimmer? Will you give Zip and I a minute?”

Angella nodded and held out her hand, Glimmer taking it before the two walked off. Castaspella then knelt in front of the upset child.

“Zip? I need you to look at me.”

Zip felt her hands gently being pulled away, her face turning the moment it was exposed. She didn’t want to look at anybody.

“Hey, talk to me.”

“I don’t want to.”

"I can see that, but you need to. It's okay to be angry, but it's not okay to stay that way when someone is trying to help."

“But we just met today. I can’t just tell you things. There’s nothing to talk about.”

“There is, and yes this may be your first meeting with me since the incident, but I have known you since you were born, and I care. I want to help.”

“No one can help me,” Zip replied. “It’s hopeless.”

“Nothing is ever hopeless,” her aunt said back. “Before you started yelling, I saw what Glimmer was trying to help you do. She was trying to help with your magic, correct?’

Zip sniffled.

“What of it? It was a stupid idea. I should have never let her talk me into it.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because it was never going to work in the first place.”

“You knew that how?” Casta questioned.

“I just did!”

The woman shook her head.

“Dearie, we have many powerful people within our family, but none of them are mind readers. Truthfully, you had no clue what was going to happen. For all you know, your magic might have worked.”

"Well, it didn't." Zip retorted.

“And that’s okay. Magic can be tricky. It might take a while to come back, it might take a short time. Who knows, but you can’t get angry when something doesn’t work for you on the first try.”

“I wasn’t angry about that!” Zip shouted. “I wasn’t even angry I was just…ugh!”

Zip turned to walk away, but Casta held her by the wrist.

“No, no. Talk to me,” she said firmly. “If you weren’t angry then what were you feeling?”

“I don’t know! I was just feeling…Grawr! It’s already frustrating enough that I can’t remember anything about my past. Now it turns out I used to have some weird sparkly power that doesn’t want to work anymore! How is that even a thing? What if it has nothing to do with my stupid memory? What if it never comes back because…because- “

“Because what, Zip?”

“Because I’m not really part of the family! What if the magic never happens because I’m the wrong girl? Then I’d have to leave them behind and never come back.”

All her emotions were out at once. She hadn't met to let them, but Casta had kept pushing her until she couldn't hold them back anymore.

“Zip, don’t you think for a second that you are the wrong girl. You are very much Angella’s daughter.”

“How do you know? What if this is all fake and I have to go away again?”

Castaspella shook her head and tucked a piece of Zip’s hair behind her ear.

“How do I know? Have you looked in a mirror lately? You’re a near spitting image of Angie, and it’s not hard to tell that you and Glimmer are sisters. You and I may not look too much alike, but I would know you anywhere. I was there when you were born. I know who my little Rosie is, and she's you, even without the memories."

Zip wiped away a few tears that had escaped. She was trying so hard not to cry.

“You are part of this family. Believe me, and if you can’t then believe Angella. A mother knows her child.”

“I don’t feel like I belong though. I feel out of place because I don’t know how to be around them. I don’t know how to be someone’s sister or someone’s daughter.”

“What are you talking about?” Casta asked. “All you have to do is be you. Be you and let them love you.”

“But I’m scared!”

Castaspella rubbed her hand.

“I know. I know you’re scared, but if you let them take care of you and just be yourself, then you won’t be so scared anymore. Your magic might even come back quicker, too.”

Zip looked at her curiously.

“What does any of that have anything to do with my magic?”

“Oh honey, it has everything to do with it. Do you know where magic comes from?”

She shrugged at the question.

“I guess people are born with it, or they can create it like you do.”

“That is all true, yes, but I’m talking about the source of magic, how it starts inside you. Do you know where that is?”

Zip shook her head.

"Magic comes from the heart. It thrives there, and it flourishes when a heart is open, but when the heart closes up, the magic can become weaker. I bet if you start opening up to your family more, then your magic will slowly start to come back, too."

The eleven-year-old furrowed her brows as she listened.

"That's really where real magic comes from?"

"I swear it," Casta smiled.

Zip scrunched her nose a bit in thought.

"I, well I wanna open up a little, but it's hard and scary."

"Understandable. It's okay to be frightened. Very okay, but you have to move past those fears. You have to fight them. Once you do, then you'll see that there's nothing to be afraid of."

“How can I do that? I don't know how to make those fears stop."

Casta leaned in a little bit closer.

“I can help you with that. You wanna know a secret? I get scared, too. More often than you think.”

“You do?”

“Mhm, and you know what I do when I feel that way?”

Zip shook her head.

“I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and I tell myself that I’m stronger than my fears, and that I’m brave enough to face anything that scares me.”

“And that works for you?’ The girl asked. “Would it work for me, too?”

“I bet it would!”

Zip turned to the side and looked to where her mother and Glimmer were standing at the edge of the field. Would doing something like that really help her be less scared, and would being more open help her magic?

“Do you wanna try it?”

Zip looked back at her and gave a shy nod.

“All right then. Close your eyes. Good girl, now take in a deep breath and let it out slowly.”

She followed the directions, telling herself to relax.

“Now, repeat after me. I am stronger than my fears, and I’m brave enough to face anything that scares me. With this family is where I’m meant to be, and everything is going to be okay. You can say it quietly to yourself if you need to.”

Zip squeezed her eyes tighter and silently repeated the words.

“ _I am stronger than my fears, and I’m brave enough to face anything that scares me. With this family is where I’m meant to be, and everything is going to be okay.”_

She opened her eyes when she finished, Casta smiling back at her.

“Feel a little better?”

Zip nodded in reply. She was actually feeling a lot more at ease. Not completely, but better than before.

“That’s my girl.” She ruffled the girl’s hair. “Just remember what I said. It’s okay to be scared, but keep trying to open up little by little. Soon enough, you won’t be afraid anymore. Just be you, okay?”

“I’ll try.”

“Good. Now then, ready for some lunch?”

She nodded as Casta stood back up, the woman extending her hand. She slipped her own into Casta’s with a little blush.

“Oh, wait a second. One more thing.”

Casta pulled her close and spoke softly.

“Whenever you feel like you don’t belong, I know one place you can go to change that.”

“Where?”

Her aunt pointed at Angella.

“Right in her arms. If you ever feel out of place, let her hold you and I guarantee you won’t feel that way anymore.”

She flashed the child a wink.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Zip continued to follow, her cheeks redder than before. Would falling into Angella’s embrace really help her feel like she belonged? She never thought about that. She always feared affection because it left her feeling vulnerable.

“ _But if Aunt Casta is right, then affection is what’s going to fix everything.”_

To be affectionate though, or to at least allow it, she'd have to be brave. She wanted to take their hugs and such but never dared to do so. If she used Castaspella's words though, maybe she'd be less afraid when the time came for some loving.

“ _Just do what she told you and maybe things will get easier. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”_

She swallowed that answer with a gulp. No, she wouldn’t let that bug her today. It was tiring, being afraid all the time, and it couldn’t hurt just to give it a try. She wanted those hugs. She wanted that affection, and for once, she was going to try to be brave. If this was really where she belonged, then she had to try.

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to run a lot easier for Zip once she had spoken to Casta. She wasn’t overly out there with her family, but she allowed herself to have a little fun. The lunch was amazing, and it included foods she had never tasted before. There was even one particular sweet she had become smitten with. Once that had finished, they visited the beach, and then the healing springs came after that! She loved the springs the most. Sitting in them seemed to make all of her tenseness melt away. She had quietly enjoyed the trip so much that she found it a struggle to say bye to her aunt.

“Did you have fun?”

Night had fallen and they had just arrived home, the three of them standing outside of Glimmer’s room. Zip herself was a little tired, merely shrugging when the question came her way.

“It was okay.”

Truth be told it was one of the best trips she had ever experienced. It also left her a lot to think about, Aunt Casta’s words still floating around in her mind.

“ _She said that opening up will help me be less afraid, but doing that requires me to be vulnerable. That itself is a scary thing. Why is all this so complicated?"_

"Okay?" Glimmer asked. "If I recall correctly, you had the time of your life in those springs. You kept hip-hopping to different ones."

Zip blushed.

“I was looking for the perfect place! Plus, I was trying to get away from you crazed people!”

Both her sister and her mother giggled at this.

“Whatever you say, goober.”

She then felt a hand on her shoulder, her mom giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I’m glad you came and that you had fun. Your aunt was thrilled to see you, and it was nice to have some quality family time.”

The girl let off another shrug.

“I suppose it was tolerable. I guess I wouldn’t mind visiting again.”

“Always the stubborn one,” Glimmer gently teased before her tone softened. “Also, about today on the field. I’m sorry it didn’t work out. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

Zip picked at her sleeve nonchalantly. She felt a bit bad for getting that worked up with the other.

“It’s fine. You didn’t do anything. I was just…blah.”

She wasn’t ready to go into details.

“Well, are you okay now?” Angella asked.

“Okay enough.”

Glimmer smiled with a nod.

“Okay then. I’m gonna get some sleep. Good night, mom.”

Glimmer hugged Angella tight.

“Good night, my darling. I’ll see you in the morning. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” she replied before pulling away. “Good night to you as well, Zip. Sleep tight, okay?”

Zip had prepared herself for the nightly hug attack out of habit but was taken off guard when Glimmer simply waved and began walking away.

“ _Wait, what? Where’s my hug?”_

_“_ Oh, don’t forget, we’re going to visit Princess Scorpia tomorrow afternoon,” Glimmer added. “You’ll like her. She’s also a hugger, so watch out.”

“ _Hugs. Yes. Come give me one. I’ll pretend to not put my shield up on time._ ”

Zip wiggled in place, panicking slightly as Glimmer began making her way to her room. If her sister wasn’t going to try the attack, it meant she’d wouldn’t get one unless she asked for it.

“ _Just do it. Remember what Aunt Casta said? If it’s scary, just say those special words. Is it okay to ask though? Will she find it weird?’_

She felt stupid for asking herself that. Of course, it wouldn't be weird if Glimmer was already trying to give them all the time. She just felt awkward and didn’t know how to do these kinds of things.

“ _If you don’t hurry and say something now, you’re not gonna get anything._ ”

“All right, night night!”

Glimmer turned to open her door, but right before she could, Zip shouted.

“G-grawr! Glimmer wait!”

The words fell from Zip’s mouth before she could stop them, both her sister and her mother now staring with slight surprise.

“What’s wrong?” Glimmer asked.

“I…you d-didn’t…and you, murr.”

Zip’s left eye began to twitch as she stuttered out random words. Now she had done it. She could either say something snarky to save her from the situation, or she could actually pursue what she wanted. The longer she thought about it, the faster the fear grew, leaving her more confused by the second.

“ _Just do what Casta told you. Try it once, and if it goes terrible, then you never have to do it again._ ”

After making up her mind, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this. All she had to do was repeat the words and try.

“ _I am stronger than my fears, and I’m brave enough to face anything that scares me. With this family is where I’m meant to be, and everything is going to be okay.”_

When she opened her eyes again. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the floor.

“Are you forgetting something?”

“Forgetting? What?”

“You know, the thing you always do.”

Zip peeked back up to see a highly confused Glimmer. She wasn’t getting the message.

"Ugh." She facepalmed her forehead in exasperation. "What you just did to Angella. The thing you try to do to me before bed every night. The thing you tried to give me this morning!"

Zip could now see the realization growing in Glimmer’s gaze, her eyes sparkling as they widened. Then, with a huge grin, she squealed out her name.

“Zip!”

“ _What have I done?_ ”

Glimmer dashed to her side and glomped her in a happy hug, her sisters face nuzzling into her own.

“Aww Zip! You’re the best little sister ever!”

Her cheeks were all sorts of dark red and she could feel her vulnerability rising. She wanted to tug away, but she managed to keep herself in place.

“ _See? It’s not that bad. You’re not dying, and it feels nice, doesn’t it?_ ”

“I just love you so much!”

Okay, no. That did it for the little girl.

“Bah!”

She pushed Glimmer back with a huff.

“Shush. Don’t think I did it because I like you. I just wanted to get you off my back.”

As Zip turned away with a pout, she found her mother looking down with a smiling, bright, and hopeful gaze.

“Oh jeeze…”

She tried to ignore it, but Angella wasn’t to let it go.

"Damnit all," the girl said as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I knew you guys were gonna be weird about this. Okay fine, just once, got it? And don't- oomph!"

She didn’t even have the chance to finish her sentence before Angella scooped her in a hug, lifting her from the ground with a spin before embracing her a little tighter, her mother’s wings curling around the two of them.

“ _Oh…I forgot how good this felt._ ”

Zip could remember the first time Angella hugged her. It was the safest she ever felt, and even now she could feel that same warmth, so much that she found herself sinking into the embrace.

“Angella…” She whispered.

Her mother kissed her head.

“I love you. I love you, love you, love you.”

Zip felt her heart skip with a fiery burst. Out of habit, she pulled away, hand over her heart.

“You’re both weirdos.”

She spoke those words to retain some toughness, but she was so touched by all the love she had gotten that, for the first time since her arrival, a smile appeared on her face.

“Eek!”

Zip spun to see Glimmer’s eyes all big and watery.

“Mom, did you see that! She smiled!”

"Wh-what? No, I didn't!"

“Hmm, no, that was definitely a smile,” Angella teased. “Someone is happy!”

“Am not!”

“You are!” Glimmer said. “So cuuuuute!”

“Curse you!”

Zip scowled at the actions of both women before stamping off towards her room. Her mother and sister, however, were not giving up that easily.

“Don’t be shy, my little Rose,” Angella called. “It was a beautiful smile!”

“Shut it!”

“That was the best smile ever!” Glimmer squeaked. “Do it again, please?”

“No!”

“Pleaaaaseeee little sister?”

"I said no!

I'm going to bed before I catch whatever crazy sickness you two have."

"Good night, Rose. It was a pleasure seeing that adorable smile," Angella teased.

“Do it again tomorrow!” Glimmer told her. “Please, please, please?”

“Goodbye!”

Finally reaching her room, Zip slammed the door shut, leaning back against it once she did.

"What is their malfunction? I mean…they just…"

Leaning her head back against the door, she sighed, and then, quite unexpectedly even to herself, she smiled lightly again. Although she didn't admit it, she had found the whole event to be quite amusing and touching at the same time.

" _They really are nuts,”_ she thought, placing her hand over her heart. Her chest was full-on warm now, and no amount of fighting was pushing it back The hugs were so perfect, and despite feeling vulnerable, she also felt good.

" _This is so weird. Can I really be happy here?_ "

She had never been this happy anywhere.

" _Maybe things can be okay if I just try.”_

She thought back to the conversation she and Casta had.

" _Whenever you feel like you don’t belong, I know one place you can go to change that. Right in her arms. If you ever feel out of place, let her hold you and I guarantee you won’t feel that way anymore.”_

“Let her hold me,” she whispered.

Her heart gave another little flutter.

" _Perhaps Camilla was wrong this whole time. Maybe I am loved, and maybe I deserve this family after all._ "


	8. Chapter Eight: Broken Walls

Chapter Eight: Broken Walls

“Aww!”

“Not. A. Word.”

Zip stared at herself in her bedroom mirror with a twitching gaze. For the last three weeks, Glimmer had begged for her to try out different clothing, but she refused it every single time. However, after being subjected to non-stop big sister loving mixed with pleading sparkle filled eyes the day before, she finally relented. Now, instead of her typical Briar Glen wear, she sported a light blue top with sleeves that came right above her elbows. With it, she wore purple shorts, white and baby blue boots, and a purple cape that hung loosely behind her.

“I look disgustingly colorful.”

“You look precious!” Glimmer squealed. “You were always adorable, but this just makes you look- “

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” she half spat.

“Are you guys done yet?”

Catra’s voice came from outside the door. Before anyone could answer, the woman slammed it open and came pounding inside, Adora right behind her. Thankfully, Bow was visiting his dads. The less to see her like this, the better.

“Look at you, Zip!” Adora grinned. “You look awesome. It suits you!”

“It sure does,” Catra added. “Cute little Zippy all dressed up.”

“Shush!”

“Such an adorable sparkly little princess!”

“Grawr!”

Zip launched a large pink cushion from her window and right towards Catra, but the other was too quick and dodged, hiding behind Adora with her tongue sticking out.

“Missed!”

Zip stuck her tongue out in return before facing her sister with a pout.

“I want out.”

“Aww, you have to at least show mom first,” she giggled. “And you should totally wear it when we go out shopping!”

“What? Show it to Angella and the public?” She had to admit that she kind of liked the outfit. It made her feel cute, but she also felt shy at the prospect of anyone else seeing her like this. “No way. Angella’s gonna call me adorable and everyone else will think I look weird. People already think I’m strange as it is. They call me ‘the princess who came back from the dead.’ They don’t need to see me like this.”

That was the other thing she was still adjusting to. Word had gotten around the city of her return, and when Bright Moon residents outside of the palace saw her, they either whispered or cheered in her presence. She wasn’t used to all that attention, or to being called Princess Rose.

"They won't look at you weird." Glimmer reached out to fix her shirt. "Yes, people are a little shocked to see you. Everyone thought you were gone, but they don’t think you’re weird, and they won’t find you odd in this clothing either.”

She felt her sister brush some hair away from her face, Zip’s pout still present.

“Zip, you have nothing to worry about. I promise you look wonderful. You don’t have to wear this if you really don’t want to, but if you give it a try, you might find you like it. What do you say?”

Glimmer’s look and warmth were filled with genuine care, so much that it melted Zip’s heart. These heart-melting moments were happening more often than not now, and she was finding it harder to fight them off.

“Pleaaaase?”

Glimmer’s eyes flickered both playfully and lovingly. How could she say no to that face?

“Uuuugh. Fine. I’ll do it just so you’ll leave me be.”

“Daw, what a good little sister you are Zippy,” Catra teased, eliciting another small scowl from the child.

“And now we’re off,” Adora cut in as she pulled her girlfriend away. “We have errands that need running. You two have fun today though, okay? Maybe we can catch up later.”

“Okay!” Glimmer replied. “See you!”

“And Zip?” Adora continued. “You look perfect.”

“Perfectly princessy.”

“Yeah, we’re gone now.” Adora tugged Catra out of the room. “See ya.”

Zip stuck her tongue out at the feline yet again right before the door closed, Glimmer shaking her head at the antics.

“Don’t pay attention to that Catra. She’s just messing with you.”

Zip knew Catra never meant any harm with the teases, but she still couldn’t help but get all worked up. They were always snarking at each other about something. It was both amusing and exasperating.

“There you go.” Glimmer flicked off a piece of lint from Zip’s shoulder. “Pretty as a present. Come on! Let’s go see mom.”

Zip looked at the extended hand and rolled her eyes before grabbing it, and soon enough they shifted from her bedroom and into their mothers, the woman just heading for the door.

“Oh, I was just coming for you two,” Angella said with a smile. “All you both all set?”

Glimmer gently shoved Zip in front of her, the young girl already blushing.

“Mhm! Take a peek at Zip’s new look!”

Angella’s eyes lit up like lights, the biggest grin decorating her face. Zip, on the other hand, felt overly exposed all over again.

“Aww, my little Rose!”

Angella picked up her youngest, the girl having to hug her mother’s neck slightly for balance.

“W-woah. Hey!”

“Look at how beautiful you are. You’re absolutely lovely.”

“Angella…” She muttered as heat rose in her face, her eyes darting away out of embarrassment. “You’re teasing again.”

“I am not,” she giggled out. “I mean it. You’re my beautiful baby girl. Come here.”

Zip felt Angella squeeze her close. She tensed up at first, but eventually, she was able to relax and fell right into the hug. She was getting better with the affection, though there was still much she couldn’t bring herself to do. Snuggling for instance. She noticed Glimmer and her mother doing that a couple weeks back, and while everything in her wanted a good long mom snuggle, she could never pursue it. Hugging was hard enough. Snuggling meant she’d have to stay vulnerable for a longer period of time.

As the hug continued, her gaze fell upon the pendant around Angella’s neck. Zip and her sister held the other pieces that made the star whole, but she had yet to show them hers still existed. She wanted to, but there was still a wall that kept her from fully embracing her place here, a wall created by a single question that had often been asked prior to her arrival.

“ _What’s the worst that can happen?”_

It was a fear she had yet to let go of.

“ _Just ignore it. If I pretend it’s not there, it’ll eventually go away, right? No one needs to know what really scares me. Today’s about fun.”_

“You know I love you, right?”

She shifted at her mother’s words, half believing them, half uncertain. Angella’s reply to this was a deeper embrace followed by an affectionate kiss on the cheek. When that happened, Zip twitched. She could tolerate the hugs, but the kisses were a whole other story.

“Kyaa! What did I tell you about that?”

She wiped her cheek with feigned annoyance, but Angella wasn’t letting her go that easily.

“Hey! You know what happens when you wipe away my kisses, right? It means I have to give you more.”

Despite her scowling and slightly squealy protests, a kiss attack ensued, Zip squirming until she was able to slip back to the ground.

“Gah! You’re mean!”

Angella could only chuckle and wink.

“I love you, too, darling. Are we ready to go?”

Glimmer tackle hugged Zip from behind.

“We are! We’re walking instead of teleporting, right?”

Angella nodded.

“I thought it would be nice to walk together. Extra family time.”

Zip groaned and pushed Glimmer off.

“You two and all this, blah.”

“You love it!” Glimmer snuck back and added her own kiss to the young girl’s cheek, Zip naturally blushing.

“Glimmer!”

Angella grinned at the scene before opening the door and beckoning them over.

“All right, you two. Come on.”

“Yeah, come on Zip!” Glimmer called as she playfully pulled the girl by her wrist. “Let’s go!”

“Ugh.” She groaned loudly as she was strung along like a ragdoll. She had no idea if she was ready for what the day would bring. “Why me?”

* * *

“Don’t the cooks usually do the food shopping?”

The three of them were crossing the stone bridge that led to a small town within Bright Moon, Zip ahead of the others as she spoke. Previously, family outings were a struggle for her to enjoy, but they were getting a little bit easier every day. She was finding them more likable, and although there were still some worries trailing along in her mind that mid-morning, she was determined to make today a good one, so she kept herself distracted with the passing scenery. Currently, she was balancing on top of the bridge wall, having climbed it to get a better look at the river below.

“Rose, dear. Do be careful,” Angella gently warned. “You don’t want to fall off.”

She hopped back down with a little hum, Angella continuing once Zip was safely on the ground.

“Normally they do the shopping, yes, but since we’re cooking the meal ourselves, I thought it would be fun to shop for the ingredients as well.”

Zip liked the idea of cooking. Cal had taught her a thing or two about it while living in the Briar.

“What are we making?”

"Veggie and meat buns," Glimmer answered. "They're delicious, and it used to be your favorite meal, too. We've already got the meat and dough for the buns back at home, but we still need the vegetables."

Her mind tried to recall anything about the aforementioned food, but as usual, she was greeted with a sharp headache. That always happened when she tried remembering things.

“ _Like the night I thought of Rabby._ ”

She could still picture that stuffed animal in her mind, all muddied up and wet, but that’s all she could remember about it.

“ _I wonder if it’s even a memory I’m seeing. It feels more like a dream._ ”

“Here we are.”

They exited the bridge and went right into town. Almost instantly people took notice. Some waved and bowed while others called out polite greetings. There were also those who stared at Zip, a few whispering at her presence while others smiled. It was the whispering that made her freeze in place. She didn't like it when people did that. She didn't like being the center of attention. It made her uncomfortable.

“Hey Zip? Don’t worry, all right?”

She peered up when Glimmer comforted, both her and Angella looking back with an extended hand.

“We’ve got you.”

A light pink color tinged her cheeks, and she was unsure of what to do. She was afraid of giving in, but she wanted to feel safe at the same time.

“ _What’s the worst that can happen?_ ”

She shot that question and the pain that came along with it right down as soon as it hit. She had promised to suppress it until it was a bother no more. She wanted today to go smoothly. With that in mind, she allowed herself to pursue her desire, one hand slipping into Glimmers and the other into her mothers. They both gave her own a gentle squeeze before walking again, Zip feeling slightly safer already. Fear or not, this is what she needed at the moment. She’d be protected.

People continued greeting them as they headed over to the market area. She wished they could move a bit faster, but the townsfolk seemed quite excited to see them. It wasn’t overly crowded, but there were still enough people around to make Zip want to shy away.

“Good morning, your majesty, and to you as well princesses.”

"Oh, it's lovely to see you out as a family today. You look amazing together."

"Good morning, Princess Rose. I don't know if I've said this before, but I'll say it again. I'm so happy to see you home."

Zip never knew what to say to these comments and honestly wished people would stop raving about her return. She knew they meant no harm, but their excitement still bugged her, especially since her memory was gone.

“ _I get that my return is odd, guys. I don’t need you to remind me.”_

What was also odd was how her family learned she was still alive in the first place. Apparently, a portal had been opened a few years back and everything went into chaos. Glimmer and Angella saw her in an alternate reality that was created, although Zip had no recollection of seeing either of them. That’s what gave them the clue. She also learned that Angella had sacrificed herself to close the portal, and her return was only made possible because of a princess named Entrapta and her boyfriend Hordak.

“ _I still can’t wrap my head around that story. Briar Glen really is cut off from the world._ ”

“Look, there’s the vegetable stand right there.”

Zip followed where Glimmer was pointing. Luckily, there weren’t a ton of people near it, giving her enough courage to slip away and run over. Her eyes scanned the goods with quiet anticipation, excitement tickling at her tummy. She loved vegetables more than a normal kid probably should have, and she really loved the fact that she and her family were going to create a meal with them. It would her first family cooked meal since her arrival. 

“See anything you like?” Angella asked.

Zip shrugged in reply, too shy to answer.

“Well, how about carrots?” Glimmer suggested. “And maybe some beans.”

“I like those,” Zip replied. “I’ll eat anything really. What about…”

She was apprehensive about sharing her thought. She didn't want to sound stupid or suggest something they didn't like.

“Go on,” Glimmer said encouragingly.

“What about green onions? They taste good.”

“Of course!” Her sister exclaimed. “Excellent choice. I’ll go get the carrots and beans, and you can pick out the onions.”

Zip nodded with a little proud smile.

“Be right back!”

When Glimmer left, Zip looked around the table for the vegetable she needed. Eventually, she found them hanging on a pole in a basket, but they were too high for her to reach.

“Up you go!”

She was suddenly lifted into the air by her mother and was now able to get the items.

“Go ahead and pick a few. There you go, good girl.”

When Zip had them in hand, Angella put her down and placed the onions in a basket.

“All right then. One more vegetable will do. You know what I think it should be?”

Zip shook her head.

“I’ll give you one guess. It’s your absolute favorite vegetable in the whole world.”

Her eyes lit up instantly, a huge grin gracing her face.

“Leeks!”

“That’s right,” Angella chuckled. “Your leeks! They’re down there. Want to go pick some out?”

“Yes! Please!”

"All right, but be careful. I'll be right here when you finish. Oh, and Rose?"

Zip was just about to head off when Angella stopped her.

“After we finish buying things, maybe we can look around the market a little more, just for fun. What do you think? Would you like that?”

The girl fiddled with her shirt shyly and nodded her head. She definitely wanted some more family time.

“Excellent. Go on then, I’ll meet you right here.”

Zip then turned and jetted towards her favorite vegetable.

“ _Leeks, leeks, leeks,_ ” she thought happily as she reached them and picked a few. Oh yes, nothing was good unless leeks were involved. This was going to be the best meal ever. On top of that, it felt like it was going to be the best day ever, too. Happiness flooded her, and she found herself excited at the prospect of more special family moments.

“Mommy!”

Pulling her from her thoughts was a little girl and her mother, the two of them sitting at a nearby bench.

“Mommy, look!”

"I see!" The mom replied. "Those berries are your favorite."

“ _Aww, she looks so happy.”_ Zip smiled at the scene, a familiar needy ache suddenly plaguing her heart. _"They must be close._ ”

“Can I have some when we get home?”

“You sure can. Let’s leave now so you can start snacking.”

“Wait!”

The child placed the berries on the bench and crawled into her mother’s lap.

“Can we snuggle for a moment first?”

“Of course my love. I always have time for that.”

Whatever ache that was growing began flooding her system now, a sadness mixing in with the happiness she had just been feeling. Watching made Zip think of when Glimmer and Angella had snuggled. It made her think about how much she wanted to snuggle, too, how much she wanted that motherly safety net to surround her. She wanted to know what it felt like to sink into Angella arms without fear.

“ _You could do it you know,_ ” said a voice in the back of her mind. “ _I bet if you asked, Angella would happily snuggle you up. It'd be scary at first, yes, but once you do it, it's won't be so scary anymore._ ”

Zip could feel her eyes welling up at the thought. She knew how wonderful it would feel, and yet there was still something holding her back.

“ _What’s the worst that can happen?_ ”

Once those words played again, her heart nearly broke, the worries she had been trying so hard to suppress that day spilling through her mind.

“ _Too many things could happen. What if Camilla was right? What if I am useless and worthless? What if I do nothing but cause trouble? What if they aren’t really happy with me? I was a burden to Camilla for so many years. What’s to say I won’t become a burden to Angella and Glimmer, too?”_

Her hand clenched over her heart, a pit now in her stomach instead of excitement.

“ _What if I finally give in and something happens? What if something bad takes place? What if I let them get close and I screw up? What if I lose them all over again?"_

Even though she couldn’t say it, she loved them. She loved them with all her heart. So much that it hurt.

_“What if I give them all this love that’s inside me and lose everything?”_

“Zip? Are you all right?”

The girl looked behind to see her mother and Glimmer, her heart heavy and her mind dazed. Suddenly she was scared to be with them.

“U-um, yeah, sorry. Leeks. I have three leeks. Is that okay?”

They both eyed her with concern but made no mention of it.

“Yes,” Angella answered. “Three’s perfect.”

Glimmer took the items and placed them in the basket their mother was carrying.

"You guys wait here," their mother told them. "I'll go pay and then we can explore a bit more. Sound good?"

“Y-yeah.”

“All right then. I’ll be right back.”

The woman turned to leave, but right before she did, she flashed both of her daughters a look filled with the deepest warmth.

“I’m glad we’re doing this today. I love spending time with both of you. I love you two dearly.”

Yep. That did Zip in. She had heard those words before, but doubt had clouded both her mind and her heart all over again, leaving her a mess, and since she was feeling that way, she couldn’t handle what was going on. The day was perfect. Too perfect. There was no way she would be allowed a life filled with this much kindness, not without things going bad in the end.

“I’m sorry.”

The two looked at Zip with confusion.

“You’re sorry? For what?” Glimmer questioned.

“I h-have to go. I mean, I’ll join you both later, but right now I need to leave.”

“Now?” Her mother’s concern grew. “Why now?”

“I have to. It’s important. I need to leave.”

“But the rest of the trip,” Glimmer told her. “Did something happen? Why g- “

“I’m sorry. I’ll see you back at the palace.”

“Zip wait! Zip!”

* * *

Zip had no intention of running off. She didn’t mean to leave them behind, but running was something she was good at. Running was all she ever knew, and run she did. She went right back to her home and hid in a tree by the large still lake that lay not too far from the castle. She felt incredibly bad for leaving on what was supposed to be a perfect family filled day, but she had to go. The one question that had haunted her since she left the Briar had gotten the best of her, and she needed time to think.

“ _Too many things could happen, and I don’t know what to do. I’m so happy here, happier than I’ve ever been, but Camilla says I always mess things up. What if I ruin things here, too?”_

Even though Angella and Glimmer said she was perfectly fine, she still had trouble fully believing them. She couldn’t understand why they would be okay with her snarky comments, her resistance, and the fact that she still couldn’t use the word mother. How was that not trouble?

With a small stretch, Zip shifted from the branch and climbed down from her hiding spot. Once she was on the ground, she walked to the edge of the lake and sat. She could still feel that desperate need for her mom and Glimmer, but she was too scared to try again.

“ _Families are supposed to be perfect, and I’m not. Maybe I can’t do this after all._ ”

"Well, it’s about time you came down.”

Zip jumped and turned to find Catra standing behind. She slinked on over and sat beside her.

“Don’t act like you knew where I was.”

“Uh, I did actually. I know your scent, and I’m quiet. You never knew I came by.”

Zip scowled and turned her angered eyes back to the lake.

“If you’re here to pick on me, I’m not in the mood.”

"I'm not. Chill out." Catra poked at Zip's arm, her voice both calm and soft. "I was worried about you. Everyone is really, especially Sparkles and the Queen. They said you took off from the trip and have been looking for you ever since."

"Well, I'm found." Zip shrugged. "Now go away."

“Not this time, kid. I’m not leaving you alone during another Zip crisis.”

She snapped her eyes back at the feline.

“Excuse me? Zip crisis?”

"Yeah, that's what I call them. You used to have them all the time, but lately, they've been few and far between. I honestly thought they were gone for good, but here we are."

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She barked. “I’ve never had some stupid Zip crisis.”

"Oh really?" Catra asked. "Okay, let's review. What about the time you ran from us when Glimmer recognized you and called you Rose? How about the time you locked yourself in their so-called prison for nearly four days? There’s also all the times you freaked out when you were hugged, plus the time you had a moment during your trip to Mystacor. Glimmer told me about that one.”

Zip groaned out of annoyance.

“Cut it out! It’s none of your business why I do what I do. It was definitely none of your business to know about what happened on Mystacor.”

“Well, in case you forgot, you’re family to me, too. It kind of is my business from time to time.”

Zip was a little touched to hear those words as, despite their sarcasm wars, Catra was like another sister to her. She just never mentioned it to the other, and had no plans to at that moment.

“Yeah well, tough luck for you. Turns out I’m not meant for this family stuff after all.”

“Says who?”

Zip was silent, her look turning dark again.

“Says Camilla? If that’s the case, you shouldn’t believe her. She’s wrong.”

Hearing Catra say that sparked a nerve of extreme anger inside her chest. Camilla had been one of the reasons she took off today, and one of the reasons she struggled so much with love and family. She didn’t like how the other suggested the truth so blatantly.

“Shut up! Don’t say that like you know me. You don’t know anything!”

Catra’s ears twitched a bit at the outburst, Zip now pulling her knees to her chest before hiding her face.

“Just go away. I don’t want to be near you.”

She was expecting Catra to abide by her words but heard no movement that indicated she was leaving. Instead, the woman's soft voice filled her ears again, an air of sadness in her tone.

“Actually, I know more than you think. I know what it’s like to grow up with someone who treats you like dirt. I know you shouldn’t let one rotten person diminish your self-worth. If I had let Shadow Weaver get the best of me in the end, I honestly don’t think I’d be here right now.”

Hearing that name prompted Zip to peek up again, her eyes on Catra once more.

“Shadow Weaver? You mean the statue of that lady at Mystacor?”

“Mhm. Did Glimmer tell you about her?”

Zip shook her head.

“She told me that she sacrificed herself for you and Adora, but that was it. She said the rest of the story wasn’t her place, and that if I wanted to know, I’d have to ask you two about it.”

The sadness that had plagued Catra’s voice was also apparent on her face, making Zip’s heart hurt a little. It surprised her to hear that the feline could somehow relate. She always came off as playful, happy, and fun. Did the other really know how she felt?

"Catra?" Zip shuffled in place. She had to know. "Who was Shadow Weaver?"

There was a reminiscent glow in the two-toned eyes that flashed quite quickly with anger, sadness, and hurt. She thought that maybe Catra wouldn’t want to talk about it after all, but the woman spoke before she could take the question back.

“Shadow Weaver, huh? I suppose for all intents and purposes, she was like a mother. She raised both me and Adora when we were part of the Horde.”

Glimmer had once mentioned that the two used to be on the enemy's side. It was Adora who defected first, and then eventually Catra.

“She was like a mother, but she didn't treat me too kindly. It was Adora she favored. I was the thorn in her side. I was the one who couldn't do anything right, and she never let me forget it. She often told me I was useless and worthless, and if it weren't for Adora liking me, that she would have sent me away."

Those words echoed the ones Zip always used to hear from Camilla. She had always been told that she was worthless and a good for nothing child, and that if it weren’t for Cal and her mother taking a liking to her, she would have been left for dead. She couldn't understand how anyone could say that to Catra though. She constantly liked to tease and was always sarcastic, but she was never mean and was far from being worthless.

“So she treated you terribly, but ended up saving both you and Adora’s life?”

“Yeah,” Catra half scoffed. “Shocked me, too. She even said she was proud of me in the end.”

“Did you believe her?”

Catra let out a thoughtful sigh.

"Honestly, I didn't know what to think at the time. I still don't know. I will say that, despite how horrible she was to me, it did hurt to lose her right before my eyes. She never showed me love. She never made me feel like I was important. She was one of the worst people I knew, and yet I couldn't help but feel somewhat attached. She raised me after all."

The story she heard was an unexpected one, and now Zip felt bad for what she had said before. Catra did indeed understand what it was like growing up with someone who seemingly hated you.

“I’m sorry that happened,” Zip said quietly. “That wasn’t fair.”

“Eh, what’s done is done.”

Zip tore at the grass beneath her. Catra may have acted like it was no big deal because it was all in the past, but she also knew that words could still hurt, even after long periods of time.

“She was wrong you know.”

“Hmm?” Catra asked.

“Shadow Weaver. She was wrong. You’re not worthless or useless. You’re one of the best people I know.”

A genuine touched smile grew on Catra’s face, tears forming in her eyes as well. The woman then scooted closer and wrapped her arm around Zip.

“Thank you. That means a lot. You know Camilla’s wrong, too, right? She’s wrong about everything. You’re one of the best people I know. That’s what you should believe.”

Zip hid her face once more, her own tears burning.

“No.”

“Uh uh, you don’t get to tell me the truth and then expect me not to do the same. You’re not useless or worthless either. You’re so much more.”

“I don’t feel that way.”

“That’s because Camilla conditioned you to think otherwise. She said those words so much that you started to believe they were true. You don’t have to listen to her anymore. Listen to us, and if you talk to Glimmer and your mom about how you feel, they’ll tell you the same thing, too.”

“I can’t talk to them,” Zip replied. “Not about this. It’s stupid.”

"Nothing is ever stupid if it truly bothers you. They can help. They want to. Listen, Shadow Weaver is the reason I'm still alive today, yes, but it was my friends, and especially Adora, that taught me how to actually live. Sometimes Shadow Weaver's taunts still hurt, but then I remember how loved I am by the people around me. I don't want you to make the same mistake I did and spend half your life thinking poorly of yourself and then running from the people who care. Just let them love you, let us love you, and you won't hurt so much anymore."

Zip’s heart ached at the words. She wanted that love so badly.

“You make it sound so easy. It’s not. It’s not something I can so readily do, and whenever I try, I feel weak, and I don’t like feeling that way.”

“You’re right,” Catra agreed. “It’s not easy at first, but it does get easier. Let me tell you something someone once told me. It’s hard keeping your heart open. It makes you vulnerable, but it doesn’t make you weak. You have to believe it’s worth it.”

At this, Zip finally peered back out, a few stray salty droplets falling down her cheeks. Catra saw this and greeted her with a comforting smile.

“I know it’s hard and scary, but you’ll be okay. Just talk to them. Let them take care of you. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Zip scoffed at those familiar words and began wiping away her tears.

“I hate that question. So much can happen. Things could be ruined. I could lose everything. There’s so much at risk, and if I do what you say and let them love me, it’ll only hurt more if something bad happens. Love is too hard. Love only hurts.”

“Zip, there’s always so much at risk. I know that better than anyone. We could easily lose the ones we care for at any time, but that’s why it’s so important to open up and love. And Zip, it’s not the love that brings you down. Loss hurts. Betrayal hurts. Love it what makes things all better.”

Hearing those words shook Zip to the core. She wanted to hide her face again, but Catra wouldn’t let her and made sure their gazes were locked before speaking again.

“Try and let them in. Just try, and you’ll see that life is going to get so much easier for you. You’re not alone. You have friends who care about you and a family who love you more than anything, and we’re gonna do whatever it takes to make you realize that.”

Whatever tears she had wiped away came back again, and as soon as she could, she went back into hiding, her face tucked deep within her arms. Everything Catra mentioned was everything she always wanted. She yearned to be loved, she craved for family. She was tired of being scared all the time. She just didn't know how to fix it.

“It’s okay,” Catra comforted as she rubbed her back. “It’s all gonna be okay.”

Zip was secretly happy that the other had stayed by her side. She didn't want to be alone when she felt like this, not anymore. She hurt. She hurt so much, and felt torn between what she wanted and what she was afraid of. However, something was different now, and reaching out for what she wanted didn’t seem as daunting as before.

“I’m sorry,” she managed to mutter out after a while as she fought back the rest of her tears. She wasn’t ready to break down yet.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing at all. I just want you to see yourself the way we all do.”

“Me, too,” Zip whispered.

At this, Catra pulled her into a tight hug.

“Let us care for you, and you will. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel, and when you do, you’re gonna start feeling a whole lot better.”

Zip nodded and gave a gentle hug back.

“I will.” She’d give in this time. She wanted all of these bad feelings to be over. “I promise, but for now, I just wanna sit here a little bit longer.”

Catra pulled away and cupped the girl’s cheek.

“That’s not a problem. You want me to stay? Or can I at least go tell them you’re safe and that you’ll find them soon?”

“I think I’ll be all right. You can tell them.”

Catra smiled and tousled Zip’s hair.

“All right. Good girl. And Zip?”

She looked over as the feline as she stood up.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

Zip’s cheeks turned bright red, and though she couldn’t say the words herself yet, she did manage a tiny smile.

“Thank you.”

Catra then flashed her a wink before taking off.

“I’ll see you later, princess.”

* * *

“ _I never realized that Catra grew up feeling so unloved by someone who was supposed to take care of her.”_

Zip had managed to get back into the castle without anyone noticing, the girl now sitting on her bed. Going unseen was a plus for her. She still wanted a bit more alone time before seeking her family out, and she needed more time to process Catra's revelating story.

_“I don’t want you making the same mistake I did and spend half your life thinking poorly of yourself and then running from the people who care.”_

Zip honestly hadn’t expected to hear such a thing. Even though Catra was sarcastic and stubborn more often than not, she was also warm, playful, and happy, and whenever she was with Adora, she sported a look that was nothing but pure, unconditional love. She never would have guessed that the brunette had suffered such a troubled past.

_“Let me tell you something someone once told me. It’s hard keeping your heart open. It makes you vulnerable, but it doesn’t make you weak. You have to believe it’s worth it.”_

This was the line that shook her. Vulnerability had been the one thing she always hated because it made her feel weak, and she couldn't afford to be that way within the Briar, not with Camilla around. Whenever she was with her family though, that feeling uncontrollably seeped through her soul, and it only got worse when she gave in to their love and affection.

“ _It gets worse and makes me feel weak, but it also feels good. As long as I don’t mess anything up, it might be okay to give in a little more, though doing that would also mean the possibility of facing those worst case scenarios that bother me.”_

The risk of ruining relationships and the risk of losing everything had made it hard for her to move forward despite her desire to be more open. That’s why the snuggles between the mother and child at the market affected her so much. She wanted that, too. She wanted to snuggle with her mother, but in her mind, snuggling meant never letting go. It meant dispersing all fears. It meant belonging.

“ _Whenever you feel like you don’t belong, I know the one place you can go to change that. Right in her arms. If you ever feel out of place, let Angella hold you, and I guarantee you won’t feel that way anymore._ ”

She hadn’t forgotten Castaspella’s words. Did they still apply even now? Could she simply throw caution into the wind and trust in her family?

“ _I trust them, I do. It’s me I don’t trust.”_

She flopped onto her side and reached beneath her pillow, pulling out the third piece of the necklace that made the star pendant whole. Her fingers traced over the two metal points, and for a moment she could have sworn she saw smaller versions of her own hands doing the same thing, but that flash disappeared as quickly as it came, and she forgot it by the time she sat up.

“I suppose I should talk to Glimmer first. She was all sorts of excited until I ran away. Plus, she helped me the very first time I needed to talk to Angella. Maybe she can help me again.”

With a shy but renewed sense of determination, she stood from her bed and pocketed the necklace. She then headed out of her room and towards her sister’s.

“ _I hope she’s in. Watch her not be there and-_ “

“Zip!”

Well, that didn't take long. How Glimmer managed to find her first in these situations baffled her.

“Hey, I- “

“Zip! I’m so happy to see you!”

Glimmer glomped her into a tight hug. Zip tried to explain what happened, but her sister was too excited to let her speak.

“There you are. I was so worried.”

She then pulled away, her tear-filled gaze staring at the young girl with relief.

“I thought something terrible had happened until Catra said she found you and that you were all right.”

A pang of guilt hit her when she saw the worry. 

“O-oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“No, no, don’t be sorry.” Zip was pulled into an embrace once more. “You’re safe, and that’s all that matters.”

While this happened, a single Bright Moon general walked by, Glimmer signaling her over.

"Please inform my mother that Zip is safe with me and that we'll be with her presently."

When Zip heard this, she hastily took a step back.

“Wait! Wait. Before that, may I talk to you first? Alone?”

Although confused, Glimmer agreed.

"Of course. I apologize, Juliet, please retract that last request. Do inform my mother, but tell her we'll be with her soon."

“Very well, princess,” Juliet replied before taking off.

Once they were alone again, Zip was led into Glimmer’s room, the two sitting on the large cushioned window bench.

“Are you all right?”

She wasn’t sure how to answer this. She technically was okay, yes, but she also was not.

“I’m s-sorry. I’m not sure how to start.”

Glimmer patted her leg gently.

“Take your time. There’s no rush.”

Zip leaned back against the window, her fingers playing with the side of her boot as she tried to think of how to begin.

“I didn’t mean to run off and ruin today’s family time. I just saw something that hit a nerve. That’s when the stupid worries started hitting and got me scared, and then that stupid question popped in my head and I worried even more and that caused me to run. I should have spoken to you guys about it first, but running is my trademark and I’m terrible at being a normal child and how you guys tolerate me when- “

“Woah, woah, woah!”

What started off as slow sentences turned into a fast-paced anxiety-filled ramble, Glimmer having to cut the girl off before she could go any further.

“Easy hun. First of all, we don’t ‘tolerate’ you, we love you. Second of all, you didn’t ruin anything today. We weren’t so much upset when you took off, but more worried. What did you see that worked you up?”

Zip rested her face in her hands, her eyes covered. She suddenly felt stupid for saying all this.

“It’s dumb.”

"No, it isn't, not if it's bothering you. Talk to me."

She growled at her own ridiculous doubts. They made so much sense when she thought about them in her head, but when she worded them, they seemed utterly ridiculous.

“Come on sweetie, what did you see?”

“Bah. I saw a mom and kid snuggling, okay? I saw them and it made me think of mom and how much I’ve wanted to snuggle with her ever since I saw you two do it, but then I could never bring myself to ask because snuggles means vulnerability and vulnerability means weakness. I know Catra said it wasn’t, but I still feel like it might be, and I can’t afford to be weak because what if something terrible happens and I ruin things or I lose you all again and life turns into one big mess and- uuuugh! Why am I so stupid!?”

Zip pulled a nearby blue pillow to her face and half growled out of frustration. She figured Glimmer would definitely find her weird after her second breathless ramble. Who got this worked up over seeing snuggles? It made her sound like a complete disgrace. Her sister, however, reacted opposite of what she was expecting, and instead of chiding her over the ridiculousness of the situation, she sat beside her and lovingly caressed her hair.

“I don’t think anything you said is stupid. Snuggling with someone can be scary because it does indeed make you vulnerable. You’re leaving yourself open to a period of loving, and it’s almost as if you feel exposed. Catra’s right though. Feeling that way doesn’t make you weak. If it did, then everyone I know would be weak because everyone experiences it, yet none of us are.”

Zip’s sad little eyes peeked up from behind the pillow.

“Everyone experiences it? Even you?”

“Oh for sure. I get that way with Bow. It was hard in the beginning, but over time that vulnerability felt good. I get that way with mom, too”

“With Angella?” She couldn’t believe this. “No way. You two are so close.”

"We are, but I still feel that way. It happens because I know that during those moments, mom is seeing the real me. She's seeing the seventeen-year-old girl who still needs her mommy snuggles, and knowing she can see my true self does leave me a bit vulnerable."

“Why though? It’s okay for her to see the real you. You’re perfect. I’m a mess. She won’t like what she sees with me.”

Glimmer chuckled a little.

“Darling, I am far from perfect.”

“Not to me. I wish I were just like you.”

Her sibling seemed absolutely touched at these words, her hand now cupping Zip’s cheek.

“Oh sweetie, I’m flattered. Thank you.”

Her look then got a bit firmer, though the love was still there.

“Also, you don’t need to worry about whether or not mom will like what she sees. She already loves it, we both do and love you just as you are. We always will.”

Zip let out the tiniest of sniffles. She could feel a crack forming in one of the last remaining walls of her heart.

“Can you be sure? What if I do something terrible and ruin the family? You wouldn’t love me then.”

“There is nothing you could do to ruin us, and nothing you could do to make us hate you.”

“How do you know?”

“I know because our love for you is unconditional,” Glimmer replied. “That means that no matter what, you have us.”

The image of her sister became blurry as the forming tears pushed at that crack even further. She was running out of things to say, running out of excuses that would allow her to believe her self-created doubts.

“But, but what if I don’t always have you?” It was her last desperate plea to prove Glimmer wrong. “What if I give in and something happens, and I lose you guys again? I don’t think I could handle that.”

“You aren’t going to lose us, sweetie. Not ever again. We’re gonna be right here for you. I can promise you that.”

Her heart then snapped in a way it hadn’t in so many years, and the tears she had been holding back came pouring out.

“Glimmer…”

“Aww honey, come here.”

Glimmer pulled Zip into her arms right as the child began to cry. It wasn’t the heavy cry that Zip needed to have, but there was a release of pain and relief within it.

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s all okay.”

She let herself cry for a few minutes, allowing bits and pieces of her fears to leave her body. How long she stayed in Glimmer’s arms she didn’t know, but she needed it, and if she could open up to her sister this way, then she could do the same with her mother, right?

“Are you sure Angella will let me snuggle with her if I ask, and that I’ll be okay if it happens?”

“Of course, silly. She’ll want to hold you more than anything, and you’ll definitely be okay. I mean, look at us now. I’ve been holding you. Has anything bad happened?”

Zip blushed and shook her head.

“N-no, but I still feel vulnerable. I don't feel tough at all, and it’s frightening. You know what, fine, yes, I like all of this, and I want it so badly, but I'm afraid that if I risk everything and continue to be this vulnerable, then I’m gonna get hurt again, or that I’ll hurt you guys.”

Glimmer gave her a comforting squeeze.

"Honey, everywhere you go in life, you'll be taking risks that could leave you hurt. I won't lie, although I hope it doesn't happen, there is a good chance that life might hurt you again, but that doesn't mean you live your life with caution and fear. If you do, then you're going to miss out on a lot of great opportunities. I know you’re scared of falling, but I can confidently tell you that here, you don’t need to be. Here, with us, nothing bad is ever going to happen. You're safe. You can let go, and you can be vulnerable and know nothing is going to hurt you when you are. Trust me, being vulnerable with the right person is a good thing. It’s freeing, and it’s beautiful."

Another small sniffle escaped as she processed words.

" _Being vulnerable with the right person is a good thing?"_

Maybe, just maybe, it was a little exhausting to be tough and scared all the time, and a little lonely. Because of her fear, she had pushed things away and never allowed herself to feel how good it could be if she just gave in.

" _It's really all right to feel that? It's okay to show the real me?"_

_"_ And you know what's also going to help with how you're feeling?" Glimmer asked.

“What?”

“Talking to mom about it, and letting her hold you.”

Zip curled a little at the words.

“Honey, it’ll help.”

She rubbed the rest of the tears from her eyes.

“I know, I know.”

“Want to go talk to her now?”

“No, not yet,” she answered. “I need a bit longer, but tonight, do you think she’ll want to after dinner?”

“Oh for sure. She’ll want it. For now though, we should at least go see her to show that you’re okay. Can we do that?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Good girl,” Glimmer smiled. “All right, let’s get your face cleaned up and then we can go.”

Zip nodded, the girl looking away out of the shyness that formed with her next sentence.

“Thank you. Really. You’re the best big sister in the world.”

Glimmer seemed to melt at this and kissed Zip on the cheek.

“You’re welcome, and you’re the best little sister anyone could ever ask for. Come on.”

The two slipped off of the bench hand in hand, but before they could reach the door, Zip paused.

“Wait. I need to show you something.”

“Hmm?”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the pendant she had kept hidden for so long. She was ready enough to show it and thought Glimmer deserved to finally see it. She was hoping it would make her happy.

“Oh…oh my. Zip.”

Happy was an understatement. Glimmer’s eyed welled right up, and her smile was wider than the child had ever seen.

“You still have this," the woman asked as she reached out to touch it. “I never thought I’d see this again.”

“Yeah. It was on my neck when I was found. I’ve kept it ever since, but when I gave up on family, I hid it away.”

Glimmer choked on her tears. It was her turn to cry, her hand curling around the pendant she herself owned.

“Mom gave these to us when we were really young. You have no idea how much it means to me to see this. Can I put it on you?”

Zip, although a tad hesitant, held it out to the other.

“Please. I don’t want to hide it anymore.”

Zip lifted her hair and allowed her sister to clasp it on. It had been so long since she’d worn it, and it was like a piece of her had returned the moment she felt the weight of it on her neck.

“P-pretty as a present,” Glimmer stuttered out once she finished. “Oh Zip, I love you.”

Zip cast her eyes to the floor, her cheeks all pink as she replied with a single word.

“Rose.”

“What?”

“Zip is the name I gave myself because I wanted to forget all about the family that I thought abandoned me. I wanted to forget all the pain, but I’m with you now, and if this pain will eventually go away just by being with you guys, then I don’t want to be Zip anymore. I want to be Rose. Your Rose.”

It was waterworks all over again. Glimmer broke right back down and hugged her with such a fierceness that she could feel her sister's love right in her very soul.

“My Rose. I love you. I love you so much.”

Still words Rose herself couldn’t utter yet, but she’d get there, and to show that love was what she felt too, she returned the hug with the same fierceness.

After a few more moments in the embrace, Glimmer pushed back and giggled.

“I guess we both need to get cleaned up now.”

Rose snickered and wiped a tear from Glimmer’s cheek.

“So it seems. I’m sorry.”

“Oh please, you have nothing to be sorry about.”

Glimmer held out her hand, Rose taking it within seconds.

“I’m so glad you’re here little sister. Come on, let’s get cleaned up and see mom.”

* * *

Rose’s conversation with Glimmer had left a mark on her heart, and a crack so astonishingly deep in one of the last remaining walls that guarded it. It had been a struggle to both voice and face her worries and fears, but Catra’s reassurance had given her enough courage to try. It had gone better than she thought with Glimmer, but she wasn’t finished. Now she had to be brave with the one she had always struggled the most to open up to.

“Angella?”

With Glimmer’s encouragement, Rose was able to face her worried mother earlier that afternoon. Angella was thrilled to see her, and though there was some concern, her mother didn’t question why she had run. She simply hugged her, and later they all made dinner together just as planned. It went smoothly and happily. After dinner, Rose changed into her purple nightclothes and was now in her mother's room, a nervous pit in her stomach at what was to come.

“Oh, there you are darling,” Angella said from her bed. “Come on in.”

Rose walked a bit closer, her mother pulling the covers down and patting the empty spot beside her.

“Join me?”

Although shy, Rose nodded and crawled onto the bed, slipping beneath the covers before leaning back against the headboard.

“Are you all right, little one?”

“Mhm.”

“Glimmer said you wanted to talk to me about something?”

“Yes.” Rose kept her eyes low, that nervous pit growing. “It’s weird though.”

Angella reached out to stroke the girl’s hair with a motherly softness.

“I bet it’s not. What’s on your mind?”

Her hands fiddled with the baby blue blanket for comfort as she pondered, unsure of where to start first. This would be so much easier if it didn’t feel like her heart was going to pound out of her chest.

“Well, I wanted to talk about why I ran away today. I know I made you worry, and I apologize for that.”

Angella leaned back and folded her hands thoughtfully in her lap.

“I was concerned, yes, especially when we couldn’t find you, but you’re back and safe, and that’s all that matters. Why is it you took off?”

Rose could feel herself wanting to cry already. She had carried her fears around for so long that releasing them was a painful process, and now that she was doing so, it seemed that her tears had a hard time staying back.

“I know this reasoning might sound weird, but I promise it’ll make sense. Technically, this all started a couple of weeks ago. Remember when I came in here for something, and I caught you and Glimmer snuggling? That got me a bit. It looked so comfortable and nice and then all of a sudden I wanted it, too, but I told myself no.”

The need to snuggle had hit her hard that day, so much that she had almost asked for it on the spot, but she caught herself before she could.

“One, I didn’t want to be an inconvenience. I know I can be a bit of a pain, so I didn’t want to bother. Two, I was scared. I was still trying to get used to hugs. Snuggles were bigger, and I knew that the longer I’d be in your arms, the more vulnerable I’d feel, and that feeling frightens me. I feel like it’s a bad thing and that I’m weak, but Catra and Glimmer says it’s not. I’m still not sure what to believe. Three, I didn’t think I deserved them.”

That was Camilla speaking, those words a constant companion.

“It’s like I said. I know I’m a pain, and I’m not easy to deal with. Anyways, when we went shopping today, I was having a hard time dealing with some worries. I was trying to suppress them, but when I saw a mom and daughter snuggling together on a bench, it made me think of you and how much I wanted you. I couldn't handle those feelings, so I took off. I didn't see what else I could do."

Rose went silent after that, her cheeks slightly red. She thought her mom would for sure find her words to be odd, but that was not the case. Instead, Angella slipped her hand into her daughters and held it tight, her voice firm but soft.

“First of all, you have never been, nor will you ever be an inconvenience. You’re my daughter, not a pain, and I’ve never viewed you that way in the slightest.”

“How can I not be? I don’t remember who I am, I always struggle with family things, and I made you worry today. Camilla always told me I was a mountain of trouble, and I feel like that’s what I’ve always brought you.”

“Rose. Look at me.”

She felt Angella lift her chin, her mother's gaze both loving yet mildly angered.

“What that woman said was wrong, and I will never forgive her for hurting you. It’s not her you should believe. Ever. I am your mother, and I love you more than life itself. You are not trouble, and as I told you before, whether or not you have your memories has nothing to do with how deep my love runs for you. Do you understand me?”

Rose had to turn away, her free hand catching a tear before it fell.

“As for vulnerability,” Angella continued. “I do understand that it can be frightening, but Catra and Glimmer are correct. It does not make you weak. It probably makes you feel that way because you aren’t used to being loved. That alone breaks my heart because love is something you deserve. And finally, you are more than welcome to snuggle with me. I will always have time for it and for you. Always.”

Rose could feel that same heartbreaking pain run through her again as she hid her face in her knees. She was breaking.

“But…but how? How can you love me so easily? I’ve been gone for a long time. I mean, I had given up on family, and I was content with going through the rest of my life without one, and yet here you are loving me as if nothing has changed."

Her tears began to spill out faster.

"You turned everything in my life upside down. Both you and Glimmer. You both started to change me. I can't even think the way I used to anymore. I can't hate family the way I want to. I can't because you make it sound so perfect. You're doing everything right and you're making me feel things I shouldn't. You're making me want things I shouldn't. I wasn't supposed to be happy here, but I am. I'm so happy it hurts, and one of the biggest reasons I couldn't bring myself to snuggle you was because I knew that if I did I was never gonna want to let go. I kept trying to push these happy feelings away because I knew someone like you was too good to be true. I knew this life was too good to be true, and worried that if I gave in then something bad would happen and I didn't want it to because I didn't want to lose you. I wouldn’t be able to handle it, Angella. Even though I can’t remember, I wouldn’t be able to handle losing you and Glimmer all over again. It’d kill me."

All of her locked away thoughts and feelings came pouring out, more so than she expected. She hadn't meant to explain all of this in such a fashion, but it couldn't help but spill free.

"I'm such a mess, dammit. Why didn’t you just give up on me?"

"Because you're my family," Angella had started crying as well. "And no matter how hard things get, families don't toss each other out or give up on each other."

"But why? You already had a perfect child. I’m terrible.”

"You are not!” Her mother scooted in closer. "You’re perfect to me. Both you and your sister are. You're my child, and there is nothing you can say or do that will ever make me give up on you or stop loving you."

That crack in her wall was breaking further by the second.

"But I don't do anything to make you happy."

"Baby, you being here makes me the happiest person in the world. I thought I'd lost you. I thought I'd never see you again. When you went missing, I lost part of my heart, and it was a part I never thought would return, and yet here you are. I couldn't be happier."

She honestly felt that way?

"Well, what if something goes bad? What if I somehow ruin things, or what if I lose you again?”

"Nothing bad will happen honey, and there is nothing you can ruin. No one is going to pull the rug out from under you here. I mean that. You're safe and oh so loved, and I’m never letting you go again. My darling, you belong here. These arms were meant for you."

The tears were endless now. Rose was broken.

“Angella…”

"Come here, my love."

Rose was pulled into her lap, arms tightly around her in a deep snuggle. She felt that vulnerability creep up again, but for once she didn’t fight it. The wall had broken, and once she was in those arms, she didn’t want to leave.

“I’ve got you. You’re safe. You’re mine forever.”

“Angella…Angella.”

She wrapped her arms around the woman’s neck with a sniffle. This is what she needed.

“Mommy.”

Moments after that word slipped out of her mouth, she burst out into a heavy cry. It was the cry she had needed from the start, the one that spilled out years of sadness, neglect, and pain.

“Mommy,” she muttered again, Angella hugging her tighter while rubbing her back.

"Shh. Shh, my little one. Mommy is right here, and it's all going to be okay."

It hurt to let her emotions out like this, and yet it was freeing at the same time. Rose had never opened up like this before, nor did she ever face her fears in such a manner. Cal had made her feel relatively safe in the past, but never had she felt something like this. This was a mother's hug. This was a mother's love. It was strong and pure, and it penetrated every bit of darkness that hid in her heart.

“I’ve got you, now and forever.”

Rose had no idea how long they stayed like that. Every so often, she wondered if her mother was getting tired of holding her, but every time that thought crossed her mind, she felt Angella kiss her head, as if she was reading her mind and comforting her.

“My beautiful little girl.”

After a bit longer, the crying had slowed, the child able to relax now.

“Are you feeling better?”

Rose nodded, her face nuzzling into Angella’s hair before she pulled back just a little. A few stray tears escaped when she did this, but her mother kissed them all away. She noticed that the woman still had a few tears as well, something Rose felt a little guilty for.

“I’m sorry I made you cry.”

"Oh no honey, trust me. These are happy tears. Oh, my Rose."

She was pulled into another hug.

“I’m so proud of you for telling me what you just did. I’m so happy you trusted me enough to share those thoughts with me.”

“I just don’t wanna be scared anymore. I want you.”

"And I want you," Angella replied. "Forever, and I promise I'll do whatever I can to make sure you never have to have those fears again."

“You’re already helping them disappear…”

"My baby. Good. I'm glad."

As Rose was held, another thought crossed her mind.

"Wow, Aunt Casta was right."

"Hmm?"

"The day we visited her, she told me that if I ever felt like I didn't belong, then all I needed to do was be in your arms. Then I'd feel like I belong again. She was right."

Angella grinned and gave her head a slew of happy kisses.

"I love you. I love you so much."

Rose may have not been strong enough to say those words yet, but she sure felt that love, and had so much of it for her mother in return.

“No more bad things?”

"No more," Angella whispered, Rose snuggling back in her arms. "No bad things."

* * *

After some more much needed cuddle time, a happy Rose returned to her room, the girl curled up in her bed after her mother tucked her in. She had never felt such happiness before. It was like she was walking on air.

“ _I’m loved. I so loved, and this really is my life. I’m never going to have to leave them again._ ”

She hugged one of her pillows close, her eyes drooping as she smiled. This would be a night she’d never forget. Even though the day had started with such heavy feelings, it ended with love from so many people, love she wanted to spend the rest of her life giving back, and with how happy she was feeling, she knew she’d be able to speak those three little words very soon.

“ _They’re mine forever._ ”

That motherly warmth still surrounded her and cradled her into a comfort she never wanted to escape from. After a lifetime of hurt, she finally got the love she always wanted, and nothing would ever take this feeling away from her again.

“ _Nothing. Nothing. I…_ ”

“ ** _Boom!_** ”

_Eyes opened to find a giant hole burned into her wall, melting away the material and exposing the outside world. Fire tore through her room moments after, enflaming the curtains and the rug. Eventually, the flames hit her door, leaving her no escape route._

_“Mommy! Mommy help me!”_

_She could feel the heat on her skin, tears of panic streaming down her cheeks. What was happening? What was she supposed to do?_

_“Rose? Rose?!”_

_She glanced back at the door with a terrified gaze._

_“Glimmer! Glimmer help!”_

_“Come here you little brat.”_

_A man in a metal suit headed towards her, menace in his words._

_“Ahh!”_

_A sudden flash hit her, and the next thing she knew she was falling from the sky and through some trees, a forest floor below her.”_

“No!”

With a scream, Rose shot up. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw that same fire filled hole in her wall, prompting her to fall out of bed, but when she looked back at it, nothing was there. In fact, nothing in her room was any different. There was no hole, no fire, and no man coming for her. Still, she felt as if it were real, her face hot, her fear strong, and her heart racing.

“What the heck was that?”

She leaned against her bed, forcing herself to calm down, but for some reason, she couldn't. What she dreamt terrified her, and it did so in a way that seemed so familiar.

"It was just a dream," she whispered. "Just a dream. Try and go back to sleep."

Rose told herself this, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to do it. What she witnessed had struck a nerve, and it had given her a sharp headache. Where had that nightmare come from? Why did it hit her all of a sudden? She wasn’t sure, but she hoped it would never happen again.


End file.
